Given how transformative transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been for mental health care, it’s remarkable that its discovery happened by chance. The history of TMS began with an unexpected breakthrough that would eventually revolutionize psychiatric treatment.
TMS uses magnetic pulses to stimulate underactive brain areas linked to mood and has helped over 1 million people worldwide. It is an FDA-cleared, non-invasive treatment for depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and smoking cessation.
Today, TMS technology is rapidly advancing, and researchers are actively exploring its ability to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD,) traumatic brain injuries, long COVID, and much more.
Scientific foundations behind the history of TMS
Like most great inventions, TMS is the culmination of the many scientific discoveries and breakthroughs that came before it.
- Late 18th century: Italian physician and physicist Luigi Galvani discovers that electrical currents can stimulate muscle movement in frog legs. His work helped spark the field of bioelectricity, the study of electrical currents produced by living cells and tissues.
- 1800: Italian physicist and chemist Alessandro Volta invents the first electric battery to provide the first continuous source of electric current. His work upended the prevailing theory that electricity could only be generated by living beings.
- 1831: Michael Faraday, an English physicist and chemist, discovers electromagnetic induction by showing that a magnet near a coil of wire could generate an electric current. This laid the foundation for electric motors and generators.
- 1938: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) uses direct electrical current to induce therapeutic seizures to treat severe mental illness in patients, some of whom did not give their consent to treatment.
Despite some success, ECT also carried significant side effects, such as confusion, memory loss, and emotional reactions to the treatment experience. Eventually, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) issued new guidelines to standardize ECT practices and improve informed consent.
Until the mid-1980s, ECT was the only brain stimulation technique available for psychiatric care.
The birth of modern TMS
The modern chapter in the history of TMS began in 1985 when Dr. Anthony Barker, a renowned English medical physicist and research, and his team developed a way to non-invasively stimulate the human brain.
They used a simple magnetic coil modeled after Faraday’s earlier design and focused it on the motor cortex to see if they could stimulate a physical response.
Almost immediately, the team noticed the volunteer subject’s hand twitch, and they knew they had made a major discovery.
After publishing their breakthrough in a concise, 500-word paper, Barker chose not to patent the magnetic coil design and instead gave away the technology, allowing researchers across the world to explore how it could be used.
It wasn’t long before researchers began applying TMS to the prefrontal cortex, the brain region associated with mood, cognition, and chronic pain.
In the early 1990s, Dr. Mark S. George, a distinguished physician-scientist specializing in psychiatry, and his colleagues recognized the potential for repetitive TMS (rTMS) as a method of treating depression. They also developed the first clinical trials to determine whether rTMS could safely and effectively treat major depressive disorder (MDD).
Canada was the first to approve TMS for depression in 2003, followed by the US in 2008. In 2010, TMS was included in treatment guidelines by the APA.
Research shows that 50% to 60% of patients who underwent TMS treatment experience significant improvement in their symptoms. About one-third achieve full remission, meaning their symptoms go away entirely.
Exploring the future of TMS
While the history of TMS is rooted in research and innovation, its future is defined by rapid technological advancement and expanding clinical applications. Today, TMS is used to treat MDD, treatment-resistant depression, OCD, migraine headaches, and nicotine use disorder (smoking cessation).
It is also showing promise as a treatment for other conditions:
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- PTSD
- Traumatic brain injury
- Bipolar depression
- Substance use disorders
- Chronic pain
- Stroke rehabilitation
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive disorders
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Epilepsy
TMS technology continues to evolve with new stimulation techniques that are rapidly expanding its impact on mental health care and neurology. New and emerging technologies include:
- Theta burst TMS: Shortens treatment duration by delivering high-frequency bursts of magnetic pulses in a much shorter timeframe. Traditional TMS typically involves 20 to 30 minute sessions five times a week for four to six weeks. Theta burst TMS sessions last three to five minutes and can be completed in as little as one to three weeks.
- Deep TMS (dTMS): This technique uses specialized coils to reach deeper brain regions to treat complex conditions like OCD and addiction.
- Treatment personalization: Neuroimaging and computational modeling are allowing clinicians to tailor TMS protocols to each patient, optimizing stimulation targets and improving treatment outcomes.
- Integration with other therapies: TMS is increasingly being used in combination with therapy and medication to accelerate symptom relief.
- Artificial intelligence (AI): Machine learning tools are being used to analyze patient data to better predict treatment responses and allow more precise control over adjustments.
- Real time neurofeedback: By studying brain activity during TMS sessions, clinicians can make effective adjustments during treatment.
- Accelerated TMS protocols: Researchers are exploring whether delivering multiple TMS sessions per day over a shorter period of time (such as five days) can offer rapid relief and greater convenience for patients.
- Portable and home-based TMS devices: Research is exploring whether user-friendly devices can increase treatment accessibility by allowing for supervised treatments outside of traditional clinical settings.
The history of TMS reflects the power of scientific progress to reshape mental health care. And its future looks even more promising.
Key takeaways
- TMS was discovered by chance in 1985 and quickly became a groundbreaking tool in brain stimulation therapy.
- Its development is rooted in centuries of science, including discoveries in electricity and magnetism.
- Now FDA-cleared, TMS treats depression, OCD, and more, with growing use for PTSD and other conditions.
- Innovations like deep TMS and AI are expanding its impact, making treatment faster, more precise, and more accessible.
Looking for TMS treatment near you?
Pacific Mind Health offers transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for depression, OCD, and smoking cessation at our Los Angeles locations. Our experienced clinicians provide compassionate, evidence-based care to help you feel better.
Ready to take the next step? Schedule a consultation today to see if TMS is right for you.
