Accelerated TMS
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Our Specialized Treatment:
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation was created in the 1800s but the technology needed to provide the treatment in its current fashion was not available until the 1980s. In 2008 the FDA provided its first clearance of a device for the treatment of major depression and it has taken nearly 10 years for all insurers to now cover the treatment.
Initially, for patients with depression who had not responded to medication and psychotherapy trials, treatment protocols were daily 40-minute-long treatment sessions over the course of nine weeks. About 60% of these patients experienced a large improvement in their symptoms with ~30% of patients no longer meeting criteria for depression at the end of the nine weeks.
Over the past five years, there has been a flurry of research into optimizing TMS treatments. Most recently, Dr. Nolan Williams and his Stanford colleagues published papers documenting the treatment method we offer. This new treatment protocol helps 80-90% of patients no longer meet criteria for depression in a matter of days. The study even included patients that had not responded to a prior course of TMS and found promising results.
The treatment uses a stimulation protocol that is based on how your brain stores and recalls information as well as targeting a particular location based on your own brain imaging.
More Resources:
Comparing response to TMS, augmentation with aripiprazole or switching to another antidepressant
Read the Abstract for the Double Blind Randomized Control Trial for Treatment Resistant Depression
Learn about how fMRI is helping us identify treatment targets for addiction
Watch Dr. Williams discuss this treatment option and future psychiatric advancements
How we Personalize Treatment:
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
We use a resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) to determine your personalized TMS treatment target site. This is a special type of MRI that is done while you are resting with your eyes open and is used to statistically determine functional connections between brain regions. This is not a diagnostic test and is only used for treatment planning purposes. The MRI typically takes about 1 hour to complete.
Because this is a special MRI, usually performed in research studies, this type of scan is not available at every MRI center. Your fMRI will be scheduled at MRI centers that have the capacity to perform this type of scan. Our team will work to set this up for you.
Getting Started is Easy
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Step One
Request a consultation. Our staff will reach out to schedule a consultation with one of our directors.
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Step Two
During your consultation, we will discuss treatment options and provide recommendations for you. These meetings can be done virtually or in person.
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Step Three
Complete the fMRI scan at a nearby location. This scan takes about 1 hour to complete.
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Step Four
Begin your treatment and start to see progress quickly. Get back to achieving your goals.
Patient Testimonial
After her TMS treatment with BPN, our patient expressed significant improvements in mood, focus, and the use of skills.
She outlined some of her experiences in her own words:
The TMS treatment freed up emotional space to give me more clarity into what I need to work on. At the beginning of the week of treatment, I struggled to turn interest into action, by the end of the week, I engaged in activities that interested and excited me. I have more mental clarity, am less distracted and withdrawn, and less explosive, more sympathetic. I no longer have suicidal ideation or thoughts of harming myself.
