Theta Burst Stimulation (TBS)

Theta Burst Stimulation (TBS) is a new kind of TMS that has significant advantages

1.  More natural and physiological - it is developed and based on the rhythms of the hippocampus and cerebral cortex which lead to long term change (LTP). 

2.  Because it takes less time to administer, it may cost much less (1/2 to 1/4 as much)

3.  Even though the time of treatment is much shorter - the healing benefits are equal

•  Theta Burst Stimulation was approved in the European Union for the treatment of depression in 2015  •

The following graphs are from a study done by Nathan Bakker at the University of Toronto in Canada. They assessed response of 185 patients, 98 who had the old 10Hz method (30 minutes), and 87 who did the new Theta Burst Stimulation (6 minutes). In both groups the treatment was safe and effective.

(If you would like to read the whole research paper, just click on the image to download the pdf)

rTMS of the Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex for Major Depression: Safety, Tolerability, Effectiveness, and Outcome Predictors for 10 Hz Versus Intermittent Theta-burst Stimulation 

Bakker et al, "Brain Stimulation: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research" in Neuromodulation 

Volume 8, Issue 2, Pages 208-215 (March 2015)