Board-Certified Adult Psychiatry and Neurology located in Bronxville, NY
If you struggle with depression that doesn’t improve with medication, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) may be the treatment you need. Hasan Asif, MD, at Brain Wellness Center has years of experience using the CloudTMS machine to boost brain activity and improve treatment-resistant depression as well as other mental health conditions. To learn if you’re a good candidate for TMS, call or schedule an appointment online.
TMS therapy is a noninvasive procedure that stimulates specific areas of the brain using a magnetic field. As the magnetic pulses safely pass through your skull and enter your brain, they boost nerve activity, stimulating electrical impulses and increasing neurotransmitter levels. When TMS is repeatedly delivered to the brain, it produces long-term improvement in several mental health conditions.
The US Food and Drug Administration cleared TMS for treating treatment-resistant depression, which occurs when depression doesn’t improve with medication. TMS also relieves the symptoms of many mental health conditions, including anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, addiction, and developmental disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
How is brain activity evaluated before TMS?
Before you receive TMS, you have a quantitative electroencephalogram (QEEG). Dr. Asif places 19 electrodes on your scalp. They detect brain waves that are transmitted to a computer, then the computer translates your brain waves into a map showing your brain activity.
Based on your diagnosis and areas of low brain activity, Dr. Asif can plan your TMS treatment. With the QEEG, he can determine the precise placement of the TMS device, as well as the number of pulses needed to optimally treat the targeted area.
How does TMS work?
Dr. Asif places the TMS device against your head, strategically positioning it so that the magnetic impulses are directed at the appropriate region of your brain. The magnetic waves only go deep enough to treat the targeted area. They don’t affect the surrounding area or any other part of your body.
What should I expect during TMS treatment?
You relax in a comfortable chair for the length of the treatment, which is about 40 minutes. During your treatment, you may feel a slight tapping sensation with each magnetic pulse. You also hear a clicking sound that can be blocked out with earplugs.
Some patients experience slight discomfort, twitching, or a headache at the start, but these side effects typically go away after a few treatments. Most patients have five treatments per week over 4-6 weeks, so you receive 20-30 total treatments.
If you have depression or another mental health condition that might improve with TMS, call Brain Wellness Center or schedule an appointment online.
