Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
What is TMS?
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive treatment that uses targeted magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain involved in mood regulation. It is an evidence-based therapy used to treat depression and anxiety, particularly when medications have not worked or caused unwanted side effects.
What conditions does TMS treat?
TMS is most commonly used to treat:
• Major Depressive Disorder (treatment resistant depression, geriatric depression)
• Anxiety disorders (including anxiety associated with depression)
Off-label uses include bipolar depression, substance use, dementia and ADHD. The data on ADHD is still inconclusive.
Many patients experience significant symptom improvement, even after other treatments have failed.
Is TMS FDA-approved?
Yes. TMS is FDA-approved for the treatment of depression, OCD, and tobacco use disorder. It has strong safety and effectiveness record, supported by extensive clinical research and real-world outcomes.
How is TMS different from medication?
Unlike medications, TMS:
• Does not affect the whole body
• Does not require daily pills
• Does not cause systemic side effects like weight gain, fatigue, or sexual dysfunction
• Directly targets brain circuits involved in mood
TMS is often used when medications are ineffective, poorly tolerated, or not preferred.
What is accelerated TMS?
Traditional TMS treatment involves daily sessions over 6 weeks. Accelerated TMS uses advanced protocols that allow treatment to be completed in just a few days, while maintaining safety and effectiveness. This approach is ideal for patients who cannot commit to weeks of daily visits.
What does a TMS session feel like?
During treatment, you’ll feel a tapping sensation on the scalp where the magnetic coil is placed. Most patients describe it as mild to moderate and well tolerated. You remain fully awake, alert, and can resume normal activities immediately afterward.
Are there side effects?
TMS is generally very well tolerated. The most common side effects are:
• Mild scalp discomfort during treatment
• Temporary headache after sessions
Serious side effects are rare, and there is no sedation, no memory loss, and no recovery time.
How soon will I feel results?
Some patients realize progress within days, while most see a more gradual shift over several weeks. Outcomes are individual, yet many individuals report significant symptom reduction and enhanced well-being.
Is TMS safe?
Yes. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) has been extensively studied and safely used worldwide for many years. It is a non-invasive procedure that does not require anesthesia, surgery, or ongoing systemic medications.
The overall risk profile is very low. The most serious potential side effect—seizure—is extremely rare, occurring in approximately 1 in 200,000 treatments. To ensure safety, we perform a Motor Threshold (MT) determination at the start of treatment. This helps us calculate the appropriate and personalized dose of magnetic stimulation for each patient.
The main safety concern involves metal implants in or near the head (such as certain cochlear implants or ferromagnetic plates). Because TMS uses magnetic pulses, these implants could be affected by the magnetic field. We screen all patients thoroughly to confirm that TMS is safe for them before treatment begins.
Seizures sound scary, is it something to worry about?
Seizures are an extremely rare side effect during TMS treatment.
Certain factors may increase seizure risk, including:
• heavy alcohol use
• a history of seizure disorders
• eating disorders with purging
These risks are carefully reviewed during the evaluation process to ensure that TMS treatment is safe and appropriate.
Patients are typically advised to limit alcohol use and follow medical recommendations prior to treatment.
Who is a good candidate for TMS?
You may be a good candidate if you:
• Have depression or anxiety that hasn’t responded well to medication
• Cannot tolerate medication side effects
• Prefer a non-medication treatment option
• Are looking for a treatment with minimal disruption to daily life
A consultation is required to determine if TMS is appropriate for you.
How effective is TMS?
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) has been used in clinical practice for over 20 years and is now widely recognized as a safe and effective treatment for depression and several other psychiatric conditions.
Interest in TMS has grown significantly in recent years for several reasons. More providers now offer the treatment, insurance companies have increasingly begun covering it, and research has continued to improve treatment protocols.
Traditional TMS protocols have shown response rates of approximately 50–70% in patients with treatment-resistant depression. More recent research, including accelerated protocols such as SAINT (Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy), has reported response rates approaching 80–90% in clinical studies.
While TMS can be very effective, no treatment works for everyone. Most patients experience some degree of improvement in mood, anxiety, or energy, although complete remission of symptoms cannot be guaranteed. It is also difficult to predict exactly who will respond and how strongly.
For many patients who have not responded well to medications, TMS provides an important alternative treatment option.
Does long does a positive response to TMS last?
The duration of benefit from TMS varies from person to person.
Many patients experience improvement that lasts months or even years. On average, symptom improvement lasts around 6 months, although some patients notice gradual changes earlier while others maintain improvement much longer.
If symptoms begin to return, maintenance or repeat treatments may be helpful. Unlike Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), TMS rarely requires frequent ongoing treatments such as weekly or monthly sessions.
Long-term outcomes can also be influenced by factors such as:
• Ongoing psychotherapy
• Healthy lifestyle habits
• Stress management
• Social support
• Individual biological factors
How is SAINT different from traditional TMS protocols?
SAINT (Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy) is a newer protocol designed to deliver TMS treatments over a much shorter time period.
The original research protocol involved 10 treatment sessions per day for 5 consecutive days, for a total of 50 treatments. These treatments were guided using functional MRI (fMRI) imaging to precisely target brain circuits involved in depression.
Currently, fMRI-guided targeting is generally limited to research settings and is not widely available in clinical practice.
However, newer clinical approaches attempt to approximate these targeting methods using structural MRI and advanced positioning techniques.
Recent studies also suggest that the total number and intensity of treatments may play a significant role in treatment effectiveness, because the brain region (Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex or DLPFC) targeted is relatively large.
How are accelerated protocols different from SAINT?
Because of the promising results seen in SAINT studies, clinicians have developed accelerated TMS protocols that aim to shorten the overall treatment timeline.
Accelerated protocols typically deliver multiple treatments per day, allowing patients to complete treatment in several days instead of several weeks.
Although these protocols generally do not use fMRI guidance, early clinical data suggest outcomes that are comparable to traditional protocols, with the advantage of significantly faster treatment.
One area still being studied is the optimal number of treatments. For example:
• Traditional TMS: ~36 treatments over 6 weeks
• SAINT protocol: 50 treatments over 5 days
• Some accelerated protocols: ~20 treatments over several days
Research is ongoing to determine which factors contribute most to treatment response.
Does insurance cover TMS?
Most insurance companies cover traditional TMS protocols consisting of approximately 36 treatments.
However, coverage policies vary widely, and patients with high-deductible plans may still have significant out-of-pocket costs before insurance begins covering treatment.
Our clinic focuses on accelerated TMS protocols, which are not currently covered by most insurance plans. For this reason, we do not bill insurance directly.
We recommend contacting your insurance provider to understand your specific coverage and deductible requirements.
Should I stop my medications?
In most cases, patients should continue taking their current psychiatric medications during TMS treatment unless instructed otherwise by their prescribing provider.
TMS can be used alongside medications and psychotherapy. If significant improvement occurs, medication adjustments may be considered later in collaboration with your treating clinician.
If medication changes are appropriate, they should always be made gradually and under medical supervision.
What can I do to improve my results from TMS?
Certain habits may help enhance the effectiveness of treatment.
For patients receiving TMS for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) or substance use disorders, it is often helpful to schedule Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy sessions close to the time of TMS treatments.
For patients being treated for depression, maintaining a positive and calm mental environment during treatment may be beneficial. Many patients choose to watch relaxing or uplifting content during sessions, such as:
• nature scenes
• favorite hobbies or activities
• photos of loved ones or pets
This approach is based on the idea that psychiatric symptoms may involve disrupted neural circuits, and positive mental engagement may help reinforce healthier patterns of brain activity.
Who Will Be Doing My TMS Sessions?
Dr. Hsu and Dr. Turner both provide TMS treatments, and their availability can vary. In most cases, you’ll work primarily with one of them throughout your treatment course to ensure consistency and comfort. If you’re receiving TMS for addiction-related care, Dr. Turner has specialized training in addiction medicine and will usually be the one overseeing your sessions. You’re welcome to request a specific physician. While scheduling may affect availability, all of our doctors are highly experienced and committed to providing safe, supportive, and effective care.
Any recommended preparations prior to treatment?
We use a comfortable cap during your session to help ensure precise coil placement. To make things easier and safer, please avoid wearing metal jewelry on your head or hands. Glasses will need to be removed during treatment.
A fresh haircut before starting TMS can be helpful because it reduces the space between the coil and your scalp, improving contact. This is especially useful for accelerated protocols, where sessions occur over a short number of days. For standard daily treatments over several weeks, this is less important but still optional.
What is your schedule for booking an appointment?
To make it convenient for those seeking treatment and to allow reduced time off from work, we are available on most weekends and holidays, in addition to weekdays.
Do I need a referral to get TMS?
You do not need a referral to receive accelerated TMS treatment at our center. However, it’s important to know that TMS services here do not establish an ongoing psychiatric treatment relationship. Our role is to provide your TMS course safely and effectively, while your primary psychiatrist or healthcare provider continues to oversee your general mental health care. With your permission, we will coordinate with your provider and share updates about your treatment course so you can return seamlessly to their ongoing care after completing TMS.
Why choose Advanced TMS Center of Vegas?
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Accelerated treatment protocols designed to shorten treatment timelines
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Care by a board-certified psychiatrist with extensive experience
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Personalized treatment planning
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Comfortable, private treatment environment
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Focus on practical, evidence-based neuromodulation therapies with the newest and most cutting edge approach
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Convenient scheduling
Do you provide treatment at my home?
For patient convenience and comfort, we are able to provide house calls. We use one of the most advanced systems, which was made to be somewhat mobile, so it is possible to move the TMS device to other locations fairly easily, but it is rather heavy. Access to the home with a roller cart would be necessary, and a mobilized armchair or chaise will be necessary. Also we charge a fee of $1200 a day for this service and will have to do the longer treatment time period. This is in addition to the treatment cost. If treatment is over 4-5 days, it will be 5 days to allow for travel time and enough rest. Greater Las Vegas area, Henderson and Summerlin are doable.
What is your pricing for Accelerated TMS?
Insurance Does Not Cover Accelerated Protocols
At our center, we provide intensive, multi-day accelerated TMS treatment. All pricing below reflects cash rates with no hidden fees.
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Accelerated TMS Protocols
20-Session Protocol $4,000
Delivered over 1–2 days
30-Session Protocol $6,000
Delivered over 2 days
40-Session Protocol $8,000
Delivered over 2–3 days
50-Session Protocol $10,000
Delivered over 4–5 days
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All accelerated protocols include:
1. Initial clinical evaluation to confirm eligibility
2. Motor threshold (MT) determination
3. All treatment sessions in the selected protocol
4. Continuous monitoring and individualized treatment adjustments
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Pricing reflects the full cost of the complete accelerated protocol. Your exact schedule may vary based on your clinical needs.
Pricing for Psychiatric Medication Consultation
Medication Management Package — $2,000
Includes three visits:
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1 Comprehensive Intake
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2 Follow-Up Sessions
Additional Follow-Up Sessions — $600 per 45-minute visit