Deep TMS for OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
Are you or a loved one suffering from OCD? Empower Psychiatry now offers TMS for OCD utilizing the Brainsway TMS system.
Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or Deep TMS, is a safe and effective treatment that can alleviate the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), particularly those patients who have not achieved sufficient improvement from traditional OCD treatment options.
Deep TMS for OCD utilizes a magnetic field emitted by BrainsWay’s H7-coil to directly reach deeper brain regions which are responsible for regulating the neural activity of brain structures associated with OCD – specifically the anterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex.
Deep TMS is a highly effective OCD treatment, with more than one in three treatment-resistant OCD patients achieving a response that greatly improves their quality of life.
As a non-invasive procedure, TMS is an easily conducted and well-tolerated treatment that does not cause any adverse or long-lasting side effects. Deep TMS for OCD does not require a significant recovery period, and the 18-min treatment can easily be integrated into any patient daily schedule.
Brainsway Deep TMS for OCD
Deep TMS Efficacy in Treating OCD
BrainsWay TMS OCD treatments use the H7-coil and significantly decrease OCD symptoms. In 2019 a multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled clinical research study showed effectiveness. This research was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Sham TMS is a type of control (or placebo) where the patients do not receive the TMS treatment but believe they are.
As you can see to the right, 38.1% of patients had a large reduction (>30%) in OCD symptoms. 54.8% of patients had a partial reduction (>20%) in OCD symptoms. This is critical for those with OCD as these symptoms effect their day to day lives and reduction leads to a big impact on their quality of life and daily functioning.
The primary measuring questionnaire used in measuring OCD is the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS).
Another study of over 200 patients published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, Deep TMS has been shown to have an even greater effect in community clinics.
57.9% of patients achieved response, defined as >30% YBOCS reduction after 29 sessions.
72.6% of patients reached first response after an average of 18.5 Deep TMS sessions or 31.6 days.
52.4% of patients achieved a sustained response where for one month they met response criteria. This was after an average of 20 sessions or just 32 days.
What TMS for OCD treatment looks like
Deep TMS sessions for OCD treatment involve a personalized initial test to activate the relevant areas of the brain. This initial session is followed by an 18-minute TMS treatment. A full course of deep TMS for OCD usually requires daily sessions over a six-week period.
