For those living with treatment-resistant depression, hope can feel like a luxury. If you’re considering transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to manage symptoms of depression and other conditions, it’s natural to wonder whether its benefits can truly last — and what the long term effects of TMS might mean for your mental health.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!TMS is a proven, non-invasive treatment for depression and anxiety in adults who have not found relief through traditional methods. It uses magnetic fields to stimulate underactive parts of the brain associated with mood.
Research supports the effectiveness of TMS. According to a 2012 study, TMS significantly improved symptoms of depression in 58% of patients and achieved complete remission in 37%.¹
While TMS offers promising outcomes, many people want to know what happens after treatment ends. Understanding the long term effects of TMS can offer clarity — and confidence — in taking the next step toward healing.
Cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2008, TMS is a treatment for major depressive disorder, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It’s ideal for people with treatment-resistant depression who haven’t responded to antidepressants, therapy, or both.
Beyond symptom relief, the long term effects of TMS contribute to overall brain health in several ways:
TMS works by delivering focused magnetic pulses to the parts of the brain involved in mood regulation, commonly in the prefrontal cortex. These pulses “wake up” under-stimulated nerve cells and promote neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change, adapt, and form new connections.
Neuroplasticity is how we learn, remember things, and build resilience. In a healthy brain, strong connections help regulate mood, manage stress, and how we respond to new situations.
However, these connections can weaken for a variety of reasons:
TMS builds neuroplasticity by strengthening the parts of the brain that aren’t working as well. Over time, this encourages the brain to establish stronger connections and build a more resilient response to stress. These neurological improvements are among the most impactful long term effects of TMS.
Rather than masking symptoms, TMS targets the brain’s underlying circuitry. This creates long term changes by establishing healthy patterns of brain activity. Research shows that many patients experience significant improvement in depressive symptoms that can last for months or even years — a key aspect of the long term effects of TMS.
There are no known long term side effects of TMS. Short-term side effects are temporary and can vary by patient. These can include headache, scalp discomfort, facial twitching, and lightheadedness. The most serious but rare side effect is seizure, which can occur in less than 0.1% of patients.⁶
Your clinician will design a TMS treatment plan that meets your needs and fits into your schedule. Sessions are admitted in a safe and comfortable outpatient setting, with no need for anesthesia.
There is no recovery period. Patients can drive to and from their appointments and continue with regular activities after treatment.
Pacific Mind Health offers two types of TMS:
During each session, a small coil placed against your scalp emits electromagnetic pulses which “wake up” underactive neurotransmitters in the brain. Most patients report feeling a mild tapping sensation during the procedure but you should never feel pain.
These protocols are both well-tolerated and contribute to the long term effects of TMS, including improved mood regulation and brain resilience.
Like all mental health treatments, TMS is not a guaranteed cure for everyone. Rather, TMS can be a powerful part of a long -term strategy to support your mental health. This is where maintenance and booster TMS sessions can help sustain the long term effects of TMS.
Research on the effectiveness of maintenance and booster TMS is positive, especially for those with treatment-resistant depression. These follow-up treatments help preserve the long term effects of TMS.
While individual results vary, one study on maintenance TMS indicated that 81% of patients who received treatment did not experience relapse.⁷ Another study found that 89% of patients who experienced a relapse of symptoms after their initial round of TMS benefited from an additional booster round.⁸
Ultimately, TMS works best when it’s part of a continuing commitment to mental health. Patients tend to experience better results when they incorporate healthy routines into their lives:
Checking in with your clinician is also part of your long term success after TMS. Your clinician will develop a personalized plan to monitor progress, catch signs of a relapse, and allow for adjustments and additional support. These follow-ups are key to preserving the long term effects of TMS.
TMS offers a path forward that goes beyond temporary relief from symptoms. It can bring meaningful long term change to support a healthy brain and ongoing wellness. Here are a few key points to consider:
Understanding the long term effects of TMS helps patients feel empowered in their decision to pursue a proven treatment path that supports not only symptom relief but also long-lasting mental wellness. Schedule your free consultation today and get the relief you need.
References
¹ Carpenter, L. L., Janicak, P. G., Aaronson, S. T., Boyadjis, T., Brock, D. G., Cook, I. A., … & Demitrack, M. A. (2012). Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for major depression: A multisite, naturalistic, observational study of acute treatment outcomes in clinical practice. Depression and Anxiety, 29(7), 587–596. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.21969
² Nguyen, T. D., Hieronymus, F., Lorentzen, R., McGirr, A., Østergaard, S. D., & Baune, B. T. (2022). Efficacy and acceptability of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for the treatment of depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Affective Disorders, 312, 55–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.06.011
³ Neuroscience News. (2024, January 16). TMS proves long-term relief for depression. https://neurosciencenews.com/tms-depression-25469/
⁴ Dunner, D. L., Aaronson, S. T., Sackeim, H. A., Janicak, P. G., Carpenter, L. L., Boyadjis, T., Brock, D. G., Bonneh-Barkay, D., Cook, I. A., Lanocha, K., Solvason, H. B., & Demitrack, M. A. (2014). A multisite, naturalistic, observational study of transcranial magnetic stimulation for patients with pharmacoresistant major depressive disorder: Durability of benefit over a 1-year follow-up period. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 75(12), 1394–1401. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.13m08977
⁵ Philip, N. S., Barredo, J., Aiken, E., Carpenter, L. L., & Price, R. B. (2019). Neuroimaging mechanisms of therapeutic transcranial magnetic stimulation for major depressive disorder. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, 3(3), 211–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.10.007
⁶ Ramanujam, A. (2021, December 7). TMS: A useful clinical tool for treatment-resistant depression. Psychiatric Times. https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/tms-a-useful-clinical-tool-for-treatment-resistant-depression
⁷ Yesavage, J. A., Fairchild, J. K., Schiehser, D. M., Gunning, F. M., & George, M. S. (2023). A randomized trial of maintenance rTMS for treatment-resistant depression: 12-month outcomes. Brain Stimulation, 16(3), 680–687. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2023.04.007
⁸ Janicak, P. G., Nahas, Z., Lisanby, S. H., Solvason, H. B., Sampson, S., McDonald, W. M., Avery, D., Demitrack, M. A., & Sackeim, H. A. (2010). Durability of clinical benefit with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in the treatment of pharmacoresistant major depression: Assessment of relapse during a 6-month, multisite, open-label study. Brain Stimulation, 3(4), 187–199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2010.03.003
Medically reviewed by Joshua Flatow, MD.
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