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By Mayo Clinic staffSome research showed that transcranial magnetic stimulation improved depression symptoms, while in other studies it didn't seem to help. If transcranial magnetic stimulation works for you, your depression symptoms may improve or go away completely. Symptom relief may take a few weeks of treatment.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation may be less likely to work if:
- Your mental illness causes detachment from reality (psychosis)
- Your depression has lasted for four or more years
- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has not worked to improve depression symptoms
It's not yet known if transcranial magnetic stimulation can be used to treat depression for the long term, or whether you can have periodic maintenance treatments to prevent depression symptoms from returning. The effectiveness of transcranial magnetic stimulation may improve as researchers learn more about techniques, the number of stimulations required and the best sites on the brain to stimulate.
- Padberg F, et al. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the prefrontal cortex in depression. Experimental Neurology. 2009;219:2.
- Kim D, et al. Transcranial magnetic stimulation in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Current Psychiatry Reports. 2009;11:447.
- Loo CK, et al. A review of the safety of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation as a clinical treatment for depression. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. 2008;11:131.
- George MS, et al. Nonpharmacological somatic treatments. In: Hales RE, et al. The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2008. http://www.psychiatryonline.com/content.aspx?aid=338825. Accessed June 21, 2010.
- Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2009.
- Rossini, Paolo M, et al. Transcranial magnetic stimulation: Diagnostic, therapeutic, and research potential. Neurology. 2007;68:484.
- Fitzgerald, Paul B, et al. The use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and vagal nerve stimulation in the treatment of depression. Current Opinion in Psychiatry. 2008;21:25.
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