Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a safe and effective treatment for major depression available at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

What is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)?

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a safe and effective treatment method for treatment-resistant depression that uses short pulses of magnetic energy to alter the activity of nerve cells in the brain. Specifically, TMS administers a small magnetic field over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, one of the areas implicated in depression. From these magnetic pulses, TMS alters the dysfunctional brain patterns associated with depression.

TMS involves no radiation, electrical stimulation or anesthesia.

What are the benefits of TMS?

TMS a safe treatment method that often carries less severe side effects that antidepressants and it is twice as effective as traditional depression treatment methods, such as antidepressants and psychotherapy. The efficacy of TMS is in part due to its targeted and personalized method, which can be altered and improved for each patient based on their response.