What Is Accelerated TMS? ​ TMS therapy has been used in clinical psychiatric practice since 2008 in the USA following its clearance by the FDA. It is non-invasive and drug-free, with none of the systemic side effects associated with medications. Despite its breakthrough success in achieving remission from depression, a major challenge of conventional repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been the inconvenience of daily treatments, and the consequent long duration of the treatment course. ​ Fortunately in 2018, a new breakthrough in TMS revolutionized our treatment options wit ..read more

Short answer: YES. Long answer below! MRI is used in research facilities to pinpoint the exact location of the best region at which to apply TMS. Recent effective trials like SAINT had very high response rates (79-90%) and used MRI in this way. This leads to the question of whether the response rate was due to MRI, or other factors in the TMS protocol. In small, private, personalized offices like mine, we don't yet have the capability to have an MRI on site and it would be a challenge for patients to go get one on their own. Since the advent of TMS for general clinical use, other accessible m ..read more

Many people ask me, "Should I try ketamine or should I try TMS?" I am biased on this question, as a TMS provider. However, there are good reasons why I decided to become a TMS provider and why I have not yet chosen to start offering ketamine treatments in my office. In my medical opinion based on research, ketamine is a quick temporary fix and TMS is a slow investment that makes lasting change over time. Obviously a quick fix is very appealing, especially when you are feeling awful. But ketamine's effects only last about a week, and require retreatment every time they go away-- which is not p ..read more

There's been a lot of confusion about TMS therapy, and people are often skeptical due to its similarities with electric shock treatment. This post will answer some common questions you might have before deciding whether or not this form of therapy could help your mental health issues! Repetitive TMS is a noninvasive form of brain stimulation used for depression. Unlike vagus nerve stimulation or deep brain stimulation, rTMS does not require surgery or implantation of electrodes. And, unlike electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), rTMS doesn't cause seizures or require sedation with anesthesia. While ..read more

We are excited to announce that our clinic is now offering Accelerated TMS off-label use, based on the SAINT Protocol developed by Stanford. This exciting new treatment has shown great promise in helping patients with a wide range of conditions, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and OCD. If you or someone you know suffers from any of these conditions, please call us today to schedule a consultation! As always I am beyond excited to see solid news coverage of TMS therapies. Check out these extremely inspiring stories of two people who experienced remission from a lifetime of dep ..read more

OCD is a debilitating mental disorder that can take over someone's life. OCD sufferers often have intrusive thoughts and perform rituals to relieve the anxiety caused by those thoughts. Until recently, there was no accessible effective treatment for OCD that didn't respond to medication. However, TMS therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment for OCD. This blog post will discuss TMS therapy and how it can help OCD sufferers get their lives back! What is OCD? OCD is a mental disorder that causes intrusive thoughts and anxiety. OCD sufferers often have repetitive thoughts or images that ..read more

Here are some questions that frequently come up for people who are starting TMS. ​ Do I have to stop my meds? No, I would recommend that you do not. TMS has been shown to work best in conjunction with at least one antidepressant, which also seems to help preserve the benefits of TMS even after you’ve finished treatment. We aim to minimize changes as much as possible during the course of the treatment. I will work closely with your primary psychiatrist. Does TMS hurt? No. Many people describe the sensation as a woodpecker pecking on your head. It should not be painful, and if it is then there a ..read more

You do not have to choose between your mental health and your sex life. SSRIs can be incredibly effective treatments for anxiety and depression. Unfortunately sexual side effects are very common. However that does not mean that you have to simply grin and bear it. Many people hesitate to bring up sexual side effects with their doctors. Many of my patients who do bring this up will apologize first or call it "TMI." There is no such thing as TMI when it comes to psychiatric care - everything can be relevant! If you don't feel comfortable telling your doctor about any of your side effects, you ma ..read more

Earlier this year, a new report by Anderson et. al. showed that adult women are filling 350% more ADHD prescriptions than they did 15 years ago. The authors warn that this is a "public health concern," as we need to be more careful about stimulants and pregnancy. While not untrue, this is a disappointing turn of events. We learn that women are taking back their brains, and the main conclusion is that women may be shirking their baby-making duties. I have contributed to this 350% increase, as it is not unusual for me to start a 36 year old woman on ADHD treatment for the first time in her life ..read more

Sometimes early trauma can cause difficulties in focus and executive functioning. The explanation that follows below is theoretical only. Let’s look at an example. Your boss asks you to write a proposal by the end of the day, so you do it. The pathway in your brain looks something like this: (A) Task requested --> Task initiated --> timeline set (day end) --> subtasks identified and prioritized --> subtasks completed --> task complete --> task reviewed for adherence to initial guidelines --> (B) Task turned in. If you have ADHD the pathway might look very different, becaus ..read more