PREVIOUSLY touted as a possible treatment for migraine, stroke and even coma, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been given its first official stamp of approval by the US Food and Drug Administration – as a treatment for depression in people who fail to respond to antidepressant drugs.
In TMS, an electromagnetic coil is held over the patient’s head to induce a weak electric current in their brain tissue. Several large trials have suggested it can be useful in treating depression, as the coil’s rapidly changing magnetic fields excite cells in the areas of the brain involved in mood regulation. Neuronetics of…
