Benefits of Neuro Navigation for Patients in TMS Therapy

Medications and therapy work wonders for many people with major depressive disorder, but upwards of 40% get no relief from these traditional treatments. Treatment-resistant depression calls for innovative approaches that address the condition differently. 

For some, the answer is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a painless, noninvasive treatment that activates the neural pathways in certain areas of your brain that have been underactive or inactive. 

Our experienced interventional psychiatrist, Dr. Karen Giles, known for her cutting-edge approaches to treatment-resistant mental health conditions, offers TMS and accelerated TMS to our patients at Breathru Psychiatric Solutions in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Because we’re passionate about helping people manage and overcome hard-to-treat mental health conditions, we constantly research new treatments and protocols that improve their quality of life.

To that end, we’ve incorporated the Localite TMS Neuro Navigation System into our lineup of services. The Localite is the same system used at Sanford University in the SAINT protocol. This advanced technology allows Dr. Giles to streamline your TMS or accelerated TMS treatment and target the affected areas of your brain more precisely. Here’s what this means for you.

How TMS works

TMS uses an electromagnetic coil placed over your head. The device sends magnetic pulses into a targeted section of your brain to stimulate the regions that control your mood. The TMS session is painless and requires no anesthesia. You sit comfortably in our treatment chair while Dr. Giles administers the treatment. 

She uses different magnet strengths, pulse patterns, pulse frequencies, and coil types based on your unique condition, symptoms, and treatment history. 

Traditional TMS requires five treatments a week for six weeks and six more sessions over the next three weeks and is covered by insurance.

Accelerated TMS calls for four daily treatments for two weeks and is not covered by insurance.

Both treatments require time-consuming measurements to identify the correct coil positioning. The more accurately we place the coil over your head, the more effective your treatment. Even slightly off-target coils can decrease the treatment’s efficacy, with studies showing that some patients only receive about 48% of the intended magnetic stimulation with cap-based positioning.

This is why neuro navigation is so valuable.

How neuro navigation improves your TMS results

Traditionally, the only way to determine the correct sections of your brain for treatment was to place an fabric cap over your head and mark the landmarks on your skull, such as the midline, nose, and ear positions. Although this method is fairly accurate, it leaves room for improvement.

The Localite Neuro Navigation System is a coil-positioning tool that saves time and increases accuracy during your TMS treatments.

This revolutionary neuro navigational tool uses your specific MRI data to precisely position the coil for a highly individualized TMS treatment that targets precise spots in your brain. The system uses electromagnetic tracking software that enables Dr. Giles to visualize and track the treatment by producing a “bullseye” on the exact location she intends to treat. 

The neuro navigation technology effectively eliminates line-of-sight limitations and the lengthy cap-based measuring. Not only does this streamline your TMS procedure, but it also automates the process to ensure consistency throughout your treatment course.

To learn more about neuro navigation and TMS, schedule a consultation at Breathru Psychiatric Solutions by calling or requesting an appointment online.