TMS Therapy for Traumatic Brain Injury

The nature and severity of a TBI is typically diagnosed through a review of your symptoms as well as an imaging test such as an MRI or CT scan. At Neurotherapeutix, we can identify the issue with greater precision than other practices due to our advanced resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) MRI technology. By using this functional MRI method, we can visually observe the function and interaction of the brain’s networks. This allows us to see which specific neurological connections have been affected by a TBI.

TBI treatment depends on the symptoms and seriousness of the injury. A severe TBI may require emergency surgery to repair skull fractures and alleviate potentially fatal inflammation of the brain. Medications may be necessary to prevent seizures and other complications. Long-term issues may require approaches such as occupational or physical therapy, or physical medicine and rehabilitation may assist in restoring physical and executive function over time. Working with a speech therapist or psychologist might be helpful in reducing the cognitive difficulties that may emerge following a TBI.

A TBI will cause what is known as diffuse axonal injury, which causes dysfunction and impairment of brain function by cutting off the connections of neural networks. This damage does not have anatomical signatures and as such very difficult to “see” on MRI or CT images. Neurotherapeutix’s unique functional MRI technology visualizes the damage by giving us the capability to map the function of the brain and see where these networks have been disrupted. Treatment will target these specific areas with the goal of repairing connections and restoring the normal architecture of the brain.

Over the course of several TMS sessions, which are customized to address the neurological connections sheared by a TBI, many patients begin to see improvement in cognitive function and an overall reduction in seizures and other long-term side effects of the brain injury. This method is guided by fMRI scans, which can be performed periodically to evaluate the progress of recovery and make modifications to the treatment program when needed. Repetitive TMS treatments may also help to reduce the overall risk of long-term degenerative brain diseases – such as Alzheimer’s or dementia – which are commonly linked to TBIs. Guided TMS is a non-invasive method which has non-to-minimal side effects and the power to induce functional and structural changes over time.