NeuroStar Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a unique, non-invasive treatment and part of our whole-person approach to mental health care. Treatment-resistant depression is challenging and may have left you without hope of ever experiencing better mental health. We want you to know there is hope—many people have experienced a significant reduction in or elimination of their symptoms of depression.
Before undergoing TMS therapy, you likely have questions about understanding the TMS therapy timeline, what happens during your visits, and when you can expect to see results. Call us today for more information and to schedule your first consultation to learn how our CHOOSE LIFE program with TMS therapy can improve your quality of life.
NeuroStar TMS uses electromagnetic stimulation on the outside of your skull to produce electrical charges inside your brain, targeting areas responsible for mood disorders like depression. Before beginning treatment, it is important that you understand the timeline for TMS therapy, which typically involves six to seven weeks of treatment, five days per week.
During your consultation, we determine if TMS therapy is the right option for you. Several criteria must be met for adults and adolescents to qualify for treatment. While TMS is cleared for adolescents aged 15-21 with major depressive disorder, it is only cleared as an adjunctive therapy.
Each treatment session lasts from 20 to 30 minutes and does not require any anesthesia or sedation for pain management. Most people leave the treatment session and go on with their daily activities. However, while the sessions are short, it is important to receive your daily treatments for the full regimen to experience the best results. This is called a treatment cycle.
The first step to understand the TMS therapy timeline is called a mapping session. This is where we identify the precise location the TMS device will be placed to target the correct area of the brain. We use a magnetic coil to generate electromagnetic fields, which allows us to find the motor threshold—the minimum energy required to produce a physical response, usually a visible muscle movement.
During this first visit, the TMS device will deliver short magnetic pulses while we look for involuntary muscle twitches in the hand or thumb. This measurement is used to determine the appropriate intensity of magnetic pulses needed to effectively treat you. The motor threshold reduces the risk of overstimulating the brain and improves the treatment’s effectiveness. The mapping session typically takes about one hour.
You may also find it useful to understand at what point in the TMS treatment timeline you can expect to see results. Most people begin to see symptoms improve within four to six weeks. At this point, you might notice subtle improvements in your sleep patterns or energy levels. You might feel more motivated to do things, have more energy, and experience fewer intrusive thoughts.
The last five to seven weeks are called the late phase of treatment. By the end of a standard six-to-seven-week treatment, a large proportion of people experience substantial symptom relief. This is where the most significant changes are observed in depression symptoms, including energy, focus, sleep, anxiety, and mood.
However, your brain will continue to adapt and strengthen these new neural pathways even after your sessions have been completed. This means that, while you will experience the majority of your symptom relief at the end of the treatment cycle, you may continue to experience improvements in the following weeks. Some factors that influence your response time include the severity of your symptoms, the regularity of treatment sessions, and your participation in a whole-person approach to depression treatment.
Call us today and schedule your first consultation to learn more about our TMS therapy protocol, what happens during your visits, and the results we have seen in our practice using our CHOOSE LIFE program alongside NeuroStar TMS therapy. Understanding the TMS therapy timeline offers hope for symptom relief and provides you with information you can use to take control of your life.
Adult Indications for Use
The NeuroStar Advanced Therapy System is indicated for the treatment of depressive episodes and for decreasing anxiety symptoms for those who may exhibit comorbid anxiety symptoms in adult patients suffering from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and who failed to achieve satisfactory improvement from previous antidepressant medication treatment in the current episode.
The NeuroStar Advanced Therapy System is intended to be used as an adjunct for the treatment of adult patients suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
Adolescent Indications for Use
NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is indicated as an adjunct for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in adolescent patients (15-21).
Important Safety Information
NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is only available by prescription. A doctor can help decide if NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is right for you. Patients’ results may vary.
The most common side effect is pain or discomfort at or near the treatment site. These events are transient; they occur during the TMS treatment course and do not occur for most patients after the first week of treatment. There is a rare risk of seizure associated with the use of TMS therapy (<0.1% per patient).
Visit neurostar.com for full safety and prescribing information.
