What you can expect during NeuroStar® Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Arriving for treatment

After you and your doctor decide that NeuroStar® TMS is right for you, you can begin treatment. When you arrive for your first NeuroStar® TMS appointment, you will be asked to sit in the NeuroStar® rTMS treatment chair at the doctor’s office. A regular therapy session lasts about 40 minutes and takes place while you relax in the chair.

Finding your motor threshold

During your first treatment session, your psychiatrist will identify your motor threshold. While you are relaxing in the chair, the doctor will place what looks like a smooth hand-held showerhead above your head. This device above your head emits magnetic pulses that are used to find your motor threshold. This is done by stimulating the area of your brain called the motor strip that produces a movement in your right thumb.

A regular 40-minute treatment

Once the doctor finds your motor threshold, he can then reposition the machine over the area that will be targeted for treatment, starting the regular 40-minute therapy. During this time, the machine will deliver rapid “pulses” of magnetic fields at 30-second intervals. These magnetic pulses produce very tiny electrical currents, which are not felt by the patient. These small electric currents help increase your levels of neurotransmitters to help decrease your depression.

No anesthesia required

During the treatment, you will hear a tapping sound, but should not feel any discomfort. Some patients describe feeling a slight tapping, like a massage. During treatment, you can also speak with your doctor whenever needed, watch television, listen to your iPod, or read. After the procedure, you can immediately return to your normal routine, including driving.