Rankings / Mood, Anxiety & Stress
TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation)
Mood, Anxiety & Stress · Non-invasive neuromodulation
Tier A+
Bottom line
Read Off Label grades TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) as A+ (8.4/10) based on strong evidence, strong benefit magnitude, and a low-risk safety profile.
Standard protocol has been eclipsed by accelerated/theta-burst variants in many clinics.
Studied, labeled, or reported-use context: Standard: 5x/week x 4-6 weeks; SAINT: ~50 sessions in 5 days — In-office; Rx/procedure; not individualized guidance.
Citation correction in progress
2 PubMed links were found to be unrelated to this entry and removed from public output. The remaining sources are shown below, but this row's claims and score still need a full source-by-source revalidation.
What the evidence says
Standard protocol has been eclipsed by accelerated/theta-burst variants in many clinics. SAINT (Stanford Cole 2020) demonstrated remission in ~80% of TRD patients with 5-day protocol; Magnus Medical's SAINT Neuromodulation System received FDA clearance in 2022. Expensive and time-intensive but often covered. Durability issue — relapse within months in many patients without maintenance.
Mechanism
Pulsed magnetic fields induce focal cortical currents; repetitive TMS (rTMS) over left DLPFC is the standard MDD protocol; Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy (SAINT) delivers a week's worth of sessions in days; deep TMS and theta-burst variants expanding
Studied, labeled, or reported dose & route
Standard: 5x/week x 4-6 weeks; SAINT: ~50 sessions in 5 days
This records doses and routes described in studies, approved labeling, clinical practice, or documented use. It is not individualized guidance and does not establish safety; context changes with indication, formulation, health history, monitoring, and other medicines.
Citations
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Common questions
- What does the evidence show about TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation)'s effects?
- Read Off Label rates the evidence for TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) as Strong and the benefit magnitude as strong, producing an overall grade of A+ (8.4/10). Standard protocol has been eclipsed by accelerated/theta-burst variants in many clinics.
- What safety findings are reported for TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation)?
- TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) has a low risk profile in the database. Low (scalp discomfort, headache, rare seizures — 0.003% per treatment; contraindicated with intracranial metal/implants) Legal status: In-office; Rx/procedure (covered by many insurers for TRD).
- What doses or routes are reported for TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation)?
- Standard: 5x/week x 4-6 weeks; SAINT: ~50 sessions in 5 days This is context from studies, approved labeling, clinical practice, or documented use; it is not individualized guidance and does not establish safety.
- How does TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) work?
- Pulsed magnetic fields induce focal cortical currents; repetitive TMS (rTMS) over left DLPFC is the standard MDD protocol; Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy (SAINT) delivers a week's worth of sessions in days; deep TMS and theta-burst variants expanding
This is an independent synthesis of published research by a non-clinician. Scores are opinions supported by citations, not prescriptions. See the full disclaimer and methodology for how this score was produced and what it does and doesn't mean.