repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)

Procedure Description

• rTMS targets specific areas of the brain that are believed to be affected by depression and other mood disorders.
• rTMS has the ability to selectively modulate or change activity in small areas of the brain.
• rTMS is used to elicit certain desired effects in the brain (i.e. excitatory or inhibitory effects) that have shown efficacy in treating various conditions or illnesses, not only depression.
• Treatment influences the electrical activity in the brain by means of a pulsed magnetic field. The magnetic field is generated by passing brief current pulses through a figure-8 coil of wire (please see photo to the right)
• This coil of wire is encased in plastic and held close to the scalp so that the magnetic field can be focused onto specific areas of the cortex, or surface, of the brain.
• The magnetic field that is generated in rTMS can penetrate the scalp and skull safely and painlessly to induce a current in specific neurons (brain cells).
• Because the magnetic stimulation is delivered at regular intervals, it is termed repetitive TMS, or rTMS.
• Stimulation parameters, such as the number of stimuli, the strength of the stimuli, the duration of the stimuli, and the length of the interval between stimuli can all be varied. The ability to change parameters while directly targeting specific brain cells suggests that rTMS therapy has an extremely valuable therapeutic potential and treatment can be customized for each patient.
• rTMS therapy has been extensively validated in clinical trials and medical research studies, and has been approved for use in Canada since 2002.
• Numerous peer-reviewed medical journal articles have shown promise for rTMS therapy in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, Auditory Hallucination Schizophrenia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Tinnitus, Eating Disorders, Migraines, Pain Management, and other mood disorders. Please consult our Disease State section to learn more about various treatment options.