What Actually Happens During dTMS Treatment?

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By Dr. David Woo - January 23, 2023

What Actually Happens During dTMS Treatment?

Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) is a therapy that works by moderating brain activity to restore balance in neural networks. dTMS technology uses magnetic pulses to affect positive changes in the brain and, by doing so, can help reduce symptoms of many mental health conditions. dTMS therapy has been proven to be highly effective, and the treatment sessions are quick and easy.

What Will I Experience at a dTMS Treatment Session?

Once you have gone through the consultation process and have confirmed with a licensed professional that dTMS therapy is right for you, you will begin attending your treatment sessions.

At your first appointment, the technician will conduct a brain mapping. During a mapping, your technician will closely monitor your brain while slowly activating the dTMS device. Brain mapping helps determine the best settings for your treatment based on your brain’s response to dTMS. This information will be saved for your future sessions.

How Does dTMS Work?

dTMS is a form of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). While standard TMS therapy uses a figure-8 magnetic coil, dTMS uses what is referred to as an H-coil. The H-coil is specially engineered to be able to affect deeper regions of the brain.(2)

dTMS Moderates Brain Activity and Restores Balance

Sending repetitive dTMS pulses into the brain works to repair and maintain the brain. To use a metaphor, if your brain were a car, dTMS is something like aligning the suspension on that car, which will yield a smoother ride and prevent additional stress on the rest of the vehicle. In essence, dTMS helps the brain function more evenly.

Conditions like depression and anxiety can be the result of the brain being “out of alignment” or simply out of balance. Certain brain regions may be overactive, underactive, or unable to sufficiently communicate with other areas of the brain. When this happens, people may experience depressed feelings, anxious thinking, and many other symptoms.

By stimulating these brain regions with dTMS, the brain can be brought back into clear and smooth functionality, which can lead to relief from symptoms for patients suffering from depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and much more.

Facts About dTMS Treatment

Here are some important things to know about the dTMS procedure:

It is painless. You may feel a light tapping or some muscles tensing around your head and face, but the experience should remain comfortable.
It is completely safe. Studies have proven dTMS to be a very low-risk treatment method.(1)
It is non-invasive. dTMS does not require any surgical procedure.
It is an outpatient therapy. dTMS is practiced without sedatives or anesthesia. After your session, you will be able to immediately return to regular daily activities.

Learn More About dTMS Treatment

We are here to answer any questions you may have about dTMS. If you’d like to speak to us directly, please don’t hesitate to contact us online or call us at 212.731.2033.

Resources:

1. Levkovitz Y, Isserles M, Padberg F, et al. Efficacy and safety of deep transcranial magnetic stimulation for major depression: a prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial. World Psychiatry. 2015;14(1):64-73. Link. Accessed November 18, 2022.

2. Tendler A, Roth Y, Barnea-Ygael N, Zangen A. How to Use the H1 Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Coil for Conditions Other than Depression. J Vis Exp. 2017;(119):55100. Published 2017 Jan 23. Link. Accessed November 18, 2022.

Dr. David Woo

Dr. David Woo is the owner and head clinical psychiatrist at Madison Avenue TMS and Therapy in New York City. Dr. Woo has been seeing patients in private practice since 2002, always with the goals of combining evidence-based medicine with psychodynamic psychotherapy and collaborating with other mental health professionals to ensure the best possible outcomes for his patients. He has been certified to administer TMS at his practice since 2017. His greatest clinical interests include helping patients suffering from depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsive disorder.

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