Healthy Brain TMS delivers bulk-billed or low-cost privately funded TMS treatment for anxiety, Depression, and other neurological conditions.
14D Street Brooklyn,
New York.
Treatment may be recommended to patients with depression who have not responded to antidepressant medication or other modes of treatment, cannot tolerate antidepressant medication due to side effects, or cannot take antidepressant medication due to contraindications.
Patients must have a referral and a thorough psychiatric assessment before starting treatment. We can provide psychiatric assessment in our clinic for those who are referred.
rTMS (Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) is another name for TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation).
TMS is the general term used for this type of brain stimulation. When patients receive treatment, repetitive magnetic pulses are used, which is why the treatment may be referred to as “repetitive” TMS (rTMS).
The main differences between these treatments are the type of energy, intensity, pattern of stimulation and the treatment method.
TMS and tDCS are both neurostimulation techniques that can modulate brain activity. TMS does this by applying a magnetic field to modulate brain activity, causing neurons to become either more or less excitable depending on the parameters applied (i.e., increase brain activation in areas that are underactive or reduce brain activation in areas that are overactive).
tDCS modulates brain activity by applying a mild electrical current to lower the threshold for activation. When used to treat depression, tDCS specifically targets a brain area that is thought to be underactive, thus aiming to increase brain activation.
ECT involves stronger electric currents to produce therapeutic effects faster.
TMS and tDCS normally require more treatment sessions than ECT, but treatments are performed in a day clinic and patients can usually return to their normal activities right away. Some tDCS treatments may be performed at home under remote clinical supervision.
ECT generally requires fewer treatments, but it must be performed in hospital under general anaesthesia. ECT may be used when a patient is too unwell to eat, drink or take medications, or when a patient is at high risk of self-harm or suicide.
There is a good base of evidence that shows TMS to be an effective therapy for major depressive disorder.
TMS has also been investigated for use in a range of other disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), autism spectrum disorders, substance dependence, and chronic pain conditions, but it is not yet considered an established treatment for these conditions the way it is established for major depressive disorder.
There is also some evidence for the use of TMS in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia, but the evidence is not as substantive as for depression.
At Healthy Brain TMS, TMS is used to treat depression, and doctors or psychiatrists may refer patients to our clinic for assessment if they:
Psychiatrists may refer patients to be assessed for TMS treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and treatment of auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia, but thorough assessment is required.
During TMS treatment, a safe, localised magnetic pulse is applied to the head. This induces small electrical currents in the cerebral cortex which stimulate the nerve cells.
Repetitive pulses may produce a therapeutic effect in which certain parts of the brain become more activated, or less activated, depending on the parameters applied.
Each treatment takes about 10-30 minutes.
While there has been some research conducted on TMS and anxiety, there is not enough research at this time to establish TMS as a treatment for anxiety.
TMS is a safe, therapeutic, and well tolerated medical procedure. When appropriate procedures are followed, there are minimal risks, and side effects are usually mild and manageable.
Clinical trials have found no cognitive impairments when TMS was delivered within recommended parameters. On the contrary, improvement in cognitive function may be expected in patients whose depression responds to TMS, particularly if cognitive impairment is one of their depressive symptoms.
Common side effects during treatment may include local scalp pain or discomfort, headache, and facial twitching.
More serious side effects are rare, and well-trained experienced clinicians can mitigate risks by following proper procedures.
Treatment may induce seizure, but incidents of this are extremely low, especially when patients are screened for appropriate risk factors prior to treatment. There is no evidence to suggest rTMS increases an individual’s risk to experiencing a seizure in future.
There may also be a risk of inducing a manic or hypomanic episode, though this is rare. Patients with a pre-existing diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder are at slightly higher risk of these episodes.
There are also risks associated with use of TMS in patients with metal implants in the head or cochlear devices, which are contraindicated for TMS. Other implants such as pacemakers need to be assessed based on risk-benefit to the patient.
The use of TMS must be very carefully assessed for each patient.
For those who have not trialled TMS previously, Medicare now provides funding for an initial course of TMS (35 treatments) and a single course of retreatment (15 treatments).* This does not include longer term maintenance treatment.
To be eligible for Medicare funded treatment, a patient must meet the following criteria:
*Information accurate as at March 2023. For the most up-to-date information, please refer to the MBS schedule.