Personalized TMS vs. Standard TMS

Our Brain Map for your Healing Journey

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-DLPFC) is an FDA-approved treatment for conditions such as treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Still, it is only partially effective, with response and remission rates of 41.2% and 35.3%, respectively. The FDA-approved protocol for TRD identifies the left DLPFC stimulation site by moving the coil 5 cm anterior to the “hand motor hotspot” (motor cortex) along the curvature of the scalp—a one-size-fits-all approach. This method provides only approximate targeting of the left DLPFC, often missing the DLPFC entirely, with no consistent differentiation among potentially relevant DLPFC subregions.

One reason some people respond well while others do not may be individual variations in brain organization, which would require stimulation to be applied to slightly different locations for different individuals.

An important goal of TMS therapy is to guide TMS targeting on a personalized basis to improve consistency across individuals and enhance outcomes for a range of mental health conditions.