Accelerated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
Rumi Mind Health’s expert interventional psychiatrists alongside our team of healthcare professionals have made this novel, effective, rapid acting treatment available in an optimized and personalized manner to maximize your chances of success.
Highlights
General Eligibility
You may be eligible for a Accelerated TMS treatments if you are:
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18 years or older (Patients aged 16-18 may be considered on a case by case basis.)
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Struggling from treatment resistant depression (failed at least 2 antidepressants)
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Do not have a history of aneurysmal disorders or intracerebral hemorrhage
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Do not have a history of seizures
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Do not have any embedded metallic objects or implanted devices in the head or neck area
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Currently connected with a psychiatrist or other psychiatric prescriber (APRN/PA) who is referring you for this treatment*
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*If you are not currently connected to a psychiatric provider but otherwise meet the criteria, use our outpatient psychiatry application instead, and mention your interest in this treatment in the comment section
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Please note that your current provider needs to initiate the referral process. We have made the referral process very simple, and have created a guideline below for providers. Please feel free to download or print this guide to give to your provider. Once we receive the referral a member of our team will reach out to you.
Treatment Overview
Once you are deemed eligible for the treatment, you will start a course of treatment that can be as short as 5 days based on the protocol. During a 5 day course, you will be at the clinic for 10 hours each day, receiving one treatment session per hour (which lasts less than 10 minutes). You will have a dedicated room during your wait times and will be able to have food or snacks (with some minor limitations), work, read, or catch up on your favorite TV shows! After this course, based on your response and other factors, a decision will be made to either stop the treatment or to slowly taper it. While some patients need long-term treatment at various frequencies, many others are able to stop the treatment and maintain the gains for months or years afterwards.
Learn More
What is Accelerated TMS
Accelerated TMS (or aTMS) is a non-invasive and non-pharmacological interventional modality for Treatment – Resistant Major Depressive Disorder. This treatment utilizes magnetic impulses to modify underactive/overactive areas of the brain. The impulses target the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex to enhance the ability to release and regulate the proper brain activity for mood regulation. It is designed to reduce the total number of days that the treatment will be delivered, while maintaining or superseding the efficacy of traditional TMS protocols. While a typical course of rTMS includes once a day sessions for 30-36 (about 6 weeks), a typical course of Accelerated TMS is 5 days. Each day consists of 10 sessions of treatment (once per hour), with each session lasting about 9 minutes. Although this results in long treatment days, the results can be achieved at a much faster rate.
Are there different Accelerated TMS protocols?
As a relatively new treatment, there are an increasing number of Accelerated TMS protocols used in research and clinical settings. The seminal study and protocol done by a team at Stanford, originally named The Stanford protocol and later changed to SAINT protocol, included five days of treatment each consisting of 10 sessions. Subsequently, other protocols have been suggested with differing number of treatment dates (e.g. 15 days) and total number of sessions.
Is Accelerated TMS covered by insurance?
Unfortunately most insurance providers do not currently cover Accelerated TMS. While this may change in the future, the majority of insurance providers who do cover TMS, limit coverage to rTMS and iTBS protocols at this time, with some only covering rTMS protocol.
What do treatment days look like?
At your first TMS appointment our highly specialized team will locate the treatment site utilizing landmarks, neuro-navigation, and imaging studies (if applicable). Then the team will determine the appropriate intensity to achieve therapeutic results. After finding both the location and the proper amount of power, the first session will be administered. Treatment sessions are completed once per hour, and for a typical Accelerated TMS treatment, you will receive 10 sessions each day.
During each session you will sit comfortably on a recliner in the private TMS treatment suite while a team member places the coil in the correct location using the neuro-navigation system before initiating treatment. The treatment may feel like a light tap on your scalp. The TMS machine is loud – ear plugs will be provided. Each session of aTMS lasts for about 9 minutes. A team-member will be in the treatment suite during the entire session, to ensure safety and comfort.
Between sessions, you will have access to an assigned private room, where you can relax, eat or drink (we will inform you about any limitations). You can read books, use electronic devices to work or to watch or listen to your favorite series, audiobook, etc. while waiting for your next sessions.
Does Accelerated TMS have any side effects?
Although TMS treatment in general is well-tolerated, there are mild side effects that can occur. Side effects are significantly minimal compared to pharmacological treatments. By its nature, Accelerated TMS has a higher chance of inducing the common side effects as the treatments are closer to each other, but the studies of various accelerated protocols did not detect a significant difference in significant adverse events compared to traditional protocols.
Some of the common side effects are: headache, dizziness, fatigue, and soreness at the treatment location.
Adverse events are rare with TMS and include seizures and complications from presence of metallic objects in the head and neck area.