A new study finds transcranial magnetic stimulation, used for treatment-resistant depression, can provide significant symptom relief in just days instead of weeks.
A depression treatment that typically takes six to eight weeks may work just as well in five days.
New research from UCLA Health looked at a condensed version of transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS — a noninvasive therapy that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate specific areas of the brain.
It’s an important option for patients who haven’t found relief through medication.
In the study, 175 patients with treatment-resistant depression received either the standard treatment — one session a day, five days a week, for six weeks — or an accelerated version: five sessions a day for five consecutive days.
Both groups had meaningful reductions in depression symptoms, with no statistically significant difference in outcomes.
Some patients in the five-day group who didn’t feel better right away showed an average 36% reduction in depression scores when checked again two to four weeks later.
Researchers say the shorter “5×5” approach could make TMS more accessible, but larger controlled trials are still needed to confirm the results.
Source: Journal of Affective Disorders
Author Affiliations: David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California
Copyright © 2026 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Leave a Reply