Not all TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) Machines Are Created Equal


Not all TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) machines are created equal. It is different at The Mind Store. The efficacy of TMS is contingent on the machine itself. BrainsWay offers a special figure 8-coil in their TMS machines that we feel reassured by. Don’t lose hope if you have tried “other” TMS treatments but haven’t used this special machine from BrainsWay.


Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an FDA-approved, evidence-based treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). However, comparisons of the efficacy of two different rTMS modalities are lacking. This industry-independent, randomized-controlled, single-blind trial evaluates the clinical outcome of two FDA-approved rTMS protocols delivered by the H1-coil or the 8-coil in MDD patients. A total of 288 MDD patients were randomized to 20 sessions of H1-coil or 8-coil as an adjunct to standard-of-care pharmacotherapy or standard-of-care pharmacotherapy alone. The baseline of MDD symptoms was severe in all three groups. The results of the study produced a remission rate of 60% in the H1-coil and standard pharmacotherapy group and 43% in the 8-coil and standard pharmacotherapy group. The control group achieved a 11% remission rate using only pharmacotherapy.[1]


Read the article here: https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2018.41

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Fig. 1 Coil Designs of the figure-8 coil (a,b) and H1 coil (c,d). Schematic of the figure-8 coil (a) and its placement on the head
targeting the left dlPFC (b). Schematic of the H1 coil (c) and its placement
on the head targeting the left dlPFC.

The flexible base of the H1 coil (Fig. 1c and d) enables the coil to adapt to the unique patient’s curvature of the scalp for maximum position and orientation. As a result, electric field components are reduced over the targeted area. The surface depth of brain treatment is reduced. Compared to the figure-8 coil, for dense, optimal, and efficient field summation in depth. The numerous components result in sufficient intensity in the target region compared to the maximal field at the surface of the brain with the H1 coil. 


"I went to visit Dr. Park to learn about substance abuse so I could learn how deal with a family member. The guidance from Dr. Charlie and Dr. Hy Gia Park, his wife, also a psychiatrist, was informational and invaluable. It was just not about substance abuse it was learning how to cope with other related issues. They have group sessions and in one I learned how to meditate which is a tool I will use throughout my life. This is a very professionally run practice."

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