Depression affects 1-in-6 Americans, and conventional treatments like medications and talk therapy are incompletely effective for some people. Fortunately, there are other options. Ohio State Behavioral Health offers a range of alternatives, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment for depression that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain that influence mood. Brain areas that are overactive can be slowed, and brain areas that are underactive can be stimulated with TMS. About half of people who receive TMS, including those people who have not responded well to medication, experience a significant improvement in mood.
What to expect during Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation:
- TMS Therapy treatment sessions are conducted on an outpatient basis at Ohio State Harding Hospital
- Each session takes less than an hour and are typically scheduled five days a week for approximately nine weeks
- Patients are awake and alert during treatment and able to resume normal activities upon leaving therapy
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation could help your depression if you:
- Are an adult
- Have a major depressive disorder diagnosis, such as depression or bipolar disorder
- Have not benefited from at least two or more antidepressant medications at full doses taken for more than six weeks
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is performed in Room 509E at Ohio State Harding Hospital.