Typical TMS Treatment

Procedure

The treatment session is a short outpatient procedure that lasts about 17-37 minutes. During TMS treatment, you can relax in the treatment chair; many patients choose to watch a movie during the session, we have a TV positioned for easy viewing. You can also speak with our TMS Specialists whenever necessary, as they are in the room with you for the entire duration of treatment. After the procedure, you can immediately return to your normal routine, including driving.

Your First Treatment Session

Because Dr. Deirmenjian needs to determine how to most effectively administer treatment, your first session could last up to an hour and a half.

He will first perform a test to identify your motor threshold. This test is important because it identifies the magnetic field strength that will be used in your treatment. This field strength is customized for each patient to deliver the correct treatment dose.

After this initial procedure, he will determine the place on the head where the TMS treatment will be applied and the magnetic coil will be moved to that location. This will allow you to receive optimal treatment.

The TMS Specialist will then administer TMS Therapy over an approximately 17-37 minute period. In 30-second intervals, the device will deliver rapid “pulses” of the magnetic fields. These will feel like tapping on your scalp.

The additional sessions will proceed much more routinely, lasting roughly 40-minutes each.

After the Procedure

Immediately following each treatment session, you may return to your normal daily routine, including driving. In clinical trials, most patients who benefited from TMS Therapy experienced results by the fourth week of treatment. Some patients may experience results in less time, while others may take longer. You should discuss your depression symptoms with your physician throughout the treatment course.

TMS Therapy treatments are conducted daily, Monday-Friday, for an average of 7 weeks. Each case will be considered individually by Dr. Deirmenjian and number of treatments will be prescribed accordingly. Contact us to learn more about a typical TMS treatment.