Question

what is Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)?

For who and when is it used on?

How effective is it?

what is the difference of  Transcranical magnetic stimulations vs deep brain stimulation ?

Answer 1

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is used in conjunction with EEG or MEG to evaluate the effects of changes in brain electrical activities on perceiving and thinking. A magnetic charge is directed via a wand placed on the head and pointed to a specific location in the brain for a very short period of time. This charge alters the neural functioning; these effects on brain functioning can be seen in the output of the EEG or MEG, as well as in terms of the person’s responses to the cognitive and perceptual tasks he or she is engaged in at the time.

• The main use of TMS is to reduce the effects of depressions when ordinary therapies become less or ineffective. TMS works with neural functioning and stimulate a specific area of the brain and realign the neurons and brain circuits with the help of electric charge.
• TMS is less harmful than other neural methods such as EEG and MEG, as we know, the pre-frontal cortex of the brain causes the symptoms of depression and TMS works specifically to a particular area of the brain so rest of brain functioning remains same or less affected.
• The deep brain stimulation or DBS works with mid and deep part of the brain and stimulate inner part, the electrical charge produced by H-coil are able to penetrate the deeper within brain while TMS stimulates the surface’s neuron cells, according to the modern studies, the DBS is more effective than TMS but sometimes it results reduce brain functioning and affects other neural functions such as feeling of pain and sleep.

References-

Movies

Awakening (1990)—Effects of L-Dopa

A Scanner Darkly (2007)—A man’s struggle with brain cancer.

Books

Riehl M, (2008), “TMS stimulator design”.

Lefaucheur JP, (2009), “Treatment of Parkinson disease by cortical stimulation”.