WHAT IS dTMS?
Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (dTMS) is a noninvasive, FDA-approved therapy that uses magnetic fields to modulate the brain’s neurological activity. It is particularly effective for patients with treatment resistant major depressive disorder (TRD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), especially those who have not found relief through medications or traditional talk therapy (psychotherapy).
HOW DOES dTMS WORK?
dTMS therapy involves delivering magnetic pulses thought a specialized helmet to target areas of the brain associated with mood and anxiety regulation. These pulses induce electrical currents in brain cells and enhancing communication in the pathways that affect mood, anxiety, and behavior. The process of adjusting the nerve activity in key brain regions can alleviate TRD, with and without anxiety, and OCD.
WAHT ARE THE BENEFITS OF dTMS?
dTMS Offers Several Benefits for Treating Depression and OCD:
- It is safe and generally well-tolerated with minimal side effects, allowing patients to return to daily activities immediately after each session.
- dTMS has shown significant efficacy in reducing symptoms of depression and OCD, with improvements often surpassing those of traditional treatments.
- Patients often experience ancillary benefits, including reduced anxiety, enhanced sleep quality, decreased pain, and increased energy.
- The treatment does not require hospitalization or anesthesia, and sessions typically last about 20 minutes.
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM dTMS?
dTMS is ideal for individuals who have not responded adequately to antidepressants alone, or antidepressants combined with psychotherapy. It is really well suited for those seeking a non-medication approach to managing symptoms. dTMS has also shown promise in relieving conditions such as PTSD, chronic pain, and fatigue, that can be associated with depression in some individuals.
And, dTMS can be used with medications and psychotherapy as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.
Please note, dTMS is not suitable for everyone. It is our goal to provide individualized patient-centered care to each person we serve. We will carefully assess each individuals physical, mental, and emotional well-being before recommending dTMS.
OUR dTMS TREATMENT PROCESS
Comprehensive
Evaluation
Personalized
Treatment Plan
Consistent Support
and Monitoring
WHY CHOOSE dTMS AT THE REMEDY?
We offer dTMS as part of our comprehensive mental health services. Our experienced team provides a supportive environment where each session is tailored to meet individual patient needs, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the treatment. dTMS is integrated seamlessly into your daily routine, ensuring minimal disruption to your lifestyle.
dTMS represents a significant advancement in the treatment of persistent mental health disorders, providing a lifeline to those who have struggled with conventional treatments. If you’re considering alternative options for managing depression or OCD, dTMS might be the right choice for you. Contact our clinic for more information and to discuss whether this innovative treatment can benefit you.
What Our PAtients Say
My story starts 50 years ago. When I was about 9 to 10, I didn’t have good examples and began struggling with depression. At this time, depression wasn’t something you talked about. It was definitely not spoken of about children. I was said to be a quiet well behaved child. I was not like all my friends. I was not as skinny as they were. I was far from being an obese child, but I felt obese. I didn’t have boyfriends like my friends. This is where my self esteem began to go down.. Throughout my life, I felt inferior to my friends and peers. I felt that I had to excel in everything to prove my worth.
After a long battle with anxiety and depression always thinking I was not achieving enough. I had a breakdown when I was around 40 from pushing myself too hard. I was then put in a psychological facility with Dr Wingarden as my doctor. Over the years we tried ECT treatments and a lot of psychological drugs to try to make my depression better. I was resistant to every drug I tried. Nothing made my anxiety and depression better. I had succumb to always being anxious and depressed. About 6 months ago, Dr. Wingarden recommended that I try dTMS treatments. He was very hopeful that this may help me. I then met Dr Montville to see if I was a candidate for treatments. After trying everything I felt what the heck just as well give it a chance.
I was so amazed how fast I noticed a difference. The only downside to the treatment is that the patient needs to be willing to go to treatment 5 days a week for 6 weeks. The treatment only last about 2 minutes. You are in and out within 15 minutes. I never knew how it felt to live without depression. From a bad childhood to two dysfunctional marriages, I don’t know how I am still here on earth. It was through my faith in God that helped me through. Also, with doctors like Dr Winegarden and Dr Montville that never gave up on me. I thank God everyday for bringing these doctors in my life. I highly recommend dTMS. You have nothing to lose but your time. I never knew how wonderful it felt without anxiety and depression. Now I know it is great!
– Charlette G.
TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE WITH dTMS
- Targeted magnetic pulses rejuvenate brain activity
- Sessions tailored to your individual needs
- Comfortable and convenient treatment process
dTMS FAQS
Why Brainsway dTMS as opposed to other TMS treatments?
We researched the currently available TMS devices and found that the deep dTMS provided by the Brainsway unit was more effective in clinical trials due to its ability to provide deeper and broader stimulation to the appropriate areas of the brain. Brainsway is also the only company with an FDA-approved indication for OCD. Brainsway is also involved in excellent research for other applications of dTMS, including smoking cessation, other trauma/PTSD, ADHD, and certain neurologic disorders.
How does dTMS work?
Our dTMS team will work to create a comprehensive treatment plan for you. This may include psychotherapy or medication adjustments to achieve the best treatment outcomes. Treatment involves sitting comfortably in a chair and wearing the treatment helmet for 20 minutes. The coil in the helmet stimulates the brain in the areas that affect mood and OCD symptoms by creating a temporary magnetic field. Approximately 50% to 60% of people with depression who have tried and failed to receive benefits from medications experience a clinically meaningful response with dTMS. About one-third of these individuals experience a full remission, meaning that their symptoms go away completely. It is important to acknowledge that these results, while encouraging, are not permanent. Like most other treatments for mood disorders, there is a high recurrence rate. Most dTMS patients feel better for many months after treatment stops, with the average response length being a little more than a year. Some will opt to come back for subsequent rounds of treatment. For individuals who do not respond to dTMS, other treatments, such as ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy), are effective options to consider.
How many treatments will I need?
A course of treatment with dTMS usually consists of 37 treatments. You will have the first 20 treatments over 4 weeks, with treatments occurring 5 weekdays weekly. You will see your psychiatrist weekly during this time to assess treatment progress. A tapering phase then follows for 8-16 weeks, with treatments occurring 2x a week. During the tapering phase, you will see your psychiatrist every 2 weeks. After treatment is completed, you will see your psychiatrist as recommended. If symptoms recur, you may benefit from another course of dTMS treatment.
Can dTMS help with other conditions?
dTMS is being studied extensively across disorders and even disciplines with the hope that it will evolve into new treatments for neurological disorders, pain management, and physical rehabilitation in addition to psychiatric disorders. There are currently large clinical trials looking at the effectiveness of dTMS in conditions such as pediatric depression, bipolar disorder, smoking cessation, post-traumatic stress disorder, and ADHD. Studies are also being designed to look at the efficacy of dTMS in treating certain conditions. While promising avenues for research, dTMS for these conditions is not yet approved and would be considered “off-label.”
When is dTMS used?
Antidepressant medications and psychotherapy are the first-line treatments for major depression. These treatments, however, do not work for all patients. In these instances, dTMS might be used as an alternative treatment or to augment antidepressant medications or psychotherapy. Patients who have failed to achieve an adequate response from antidepressants or who are unable to tolerate medications might consider dTMS therapy. (Every insurance company’s prior authorization requirements are different. Many require that you have failed 2 adequate trials of antidepressants in different classes at the highest FDA-approved, tolerated dose, 2 trials of augmentation – medications of a different class added to your regimen – and 1 trial of appropriate psychotherapy).
*Certain medications (and drugs) may reduce the effectiveness of dTMS, so you should discuss them with your doctor prior to starting treatment. Also, any new medications started during treatment should be reviewed.
What are the side effects of dTMS?
dTMS is well-tolerated and associated with few side effects, and only a small percentage of patients discontinue treatment because of these. The most common side effect, which is reported in about half of patients treated with dTMS, is headaches. These are mild and generally diminish over the course of the treatment. Over-the-counter pain medication can be used to treat these headaches. About one-third of patients may experience painful scalp sensations or facial twitching with dTMS pulses (during treatment). These, too, tend to diminish over the course of treatment, although adjustments can be made immediately in coil positioning and stimulation settings to reduce discomfort. The dTMS machine produces a loud noise, and because of this, earplugs are given to the patient to use during the treatment. However, some patients may still complain of hearing problems immediately following treatment. No evidence suggests these effects are permanent if earplugs are worn during the treatment. dTMS has not been associated with many of the side effects caused by antidepressant medications, such as gastrointestinal upset, dry mouth, sexual dysfunction, weight gain, or sedation. The most serious risk of dTMS is seizures. However, the risk of a seizure is exceedingly low. Overall, dTMS is a very safe procedure.
*Certain medications, drugs, caffeine, and alcohol may increase the risk of seizures, impact the effectiveness of dTMS, or require a dTMS dose change and should be discussed with your doctor prior to starting treatment or if any changes in your medication/drug/alcohol or caffeine use should occur during treatment.
Who is dTMS therapy NOT appropriate for?
Patients with any type of non-removable metal in their heads (except for braces or dental fillings) should not receive dTMS. Failure to follow this rule could cause the object to heat up, move, or malfunction and result in serious injury or death. The following is a list of metal implants that can prevent a patient from receiving dTMS:
- Aneurysm clips or coils
- Stents in the neck or brain
- Deep brain stimulators
- Electrodes to monitor brain activity
- Metallic implants in your ears and eyes
- Shrapnel or metal fragments in or near the head
- Facial tattoos with metallic or magnetic-sensitive ink
- Other metal devices or objects implanted in or near the head
