Question 1

What is TMS?

Accepted Answer

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a non-invasive therapy mainly used for major depressive disorder, especially when two or more antidepressants have not worked. It uses targeted magnetic pulses, similar in strength to those in MRI machines, to stimulate parts of the brain involved in mood regulation that may be less active.

The treatment does not need anesthesia or sedation, and there is no recovery time. Sessions usually last between 3 and 19 minutes, depending on the protocol, and patients can drive themselves home and return to normal activities right after. [Find a TMS clinic near you →]

Question 2

Is TMS FDA-cleared?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The FDA first cleared TMS for major depressive disorder in 2008. Since then, Deep TMS was cleared in 2013, the 3-minute intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) protocol in 2018, the accelerated Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy (SNT) protocol in 2022, and use for adolescent depression in people aged 15 and older in 2024.

TMS is also FDA-cleared for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxious depression, and to help people quit smoking. The American Psychiatric Association recognizes TMS as a standard treatment for people with treatment-resistant depression.

Question 3

How does TMS work?

Accepted Answer

Depression is connected to lower activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that helps control mood and emotions. TMS sends focused magnetic pulses through the scalp to this area, creating small electrical currents that activate brain cells.

With repeated sessions, these pulses help strengthen brain connections and support healthier brain activity. Most patients have 36 sessions over six to nine weeks. Studies show about 60% of patients respond to treatment, and 30% to 40% reach remission.

Question 4

What does a TMS session feel like?

Accepted Answer

During a TMS session, you sit in a reclining chair while a technician places a magnetic coil against your scalp. The machine sends pulses that feel like tapping on the side of your head and makes a clicking sound. The procedure is not painful, but some people feel mild scalp discomfort or a dull headache during the first week.

This usually goes away as you get used to the sessions. You stay fully awake, can talk with the technician, and many patients read, watch shows, or listen to music during treatment.

Question 5

Who invented TMS?

Accepted Answer

Modern TMS was developed in 1985 by Dr. Anthony Barker and his team at the University of Sheffield. Their device was the first to safely and reliably activate the human motor cortex from outside the body. Earlier experiments with magnetic brain stimulation go back to the 1890s, but Barker's design made clinical use possible.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, researchers like Dr. Mark George at the Medical University of South Carolina did studies that helped establish TMS as a treatment for depression, leading to FDA clearance in 2008.

Question 6

What is the difference between TMS and rTMS?

Accepted Answer

The terms TMS and rTMS are often used to mean the same thing in clinics. TMS is the basic technology of magnetic brain stimulation. rTMS, or repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, is the treatment protocol where pulses are given in quick, repeated patterns to create lasting changes in brain activity.

When clinics talk about TMS therapy, they almost always mean rTMS.

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