Deep TMS is a form of transcranial magnetic stimulation that uses a specially designed coil, called an H-coil, to reach brain tissue deeper and more broadly than the flat figure-eight coil used in standard rTMS. The H-coil is built into a cushioned helmet rather than held against one spot on the scalp. Because the magnetic field extends several centimeters below the surface, Deep TMS can directly stimulate parts of the prefrontal cortex that a conventional coil can only reach indirectly. The treatment experience is otherwise similar: you sit in a chair, awake, for about 20 minutes per session, and return to your day afterward.
The Deep TMS system made by BrainsWay was FDA-cleared for major depressive disorder in 2013, for obsessive-compulsive disorder in 2018, for short-term smoking cessation in 2020, and for anxious depression in 2021. A typical depression course runs 36 sessions over six to nine weeks, five days a week at first, then tapering. Many patients start to notice change in the third or fourth week, though some respond earlier and some later. Side effects are usually limited to scalp discomfort and headache early on. Stedfast Psychiatry provides Deep TMS at our Palm Beach Gardens office, and any of our providers can evaluate whether you are a candidate and coordinate insurance prior authorization.