Accelerated Deep TMS

By Sophie Simon (TMS tech) and Rose George MD

Since Brainsway introduced Deep TMS (dTMS) for treating depression, many people have reported significant improvements in their depression symptoms and overall mood. There is one development that will help make this treatment even more accessible, to be able to administer dTMS over a shorter time period for those who have difficulty with the current dTMS treatment schedule.

In an effort to make dTMS more accessible, Brainsway conducted a study using a new approach called accelerated Deep TMS.This method uses a different stimulation protocol called intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), which delivers short, rapid magnetic pulses to the brain. Theta burst is modeled after the way neurons in the brain themselves are thought to communicate.   These treatment sessions are much faster and multiple sessions can be done in a single day. In this study patients came in for 6 days and did 5 treatment sessions per day this was followed by 8 more treatments spread over four weeks. When implemented in clinics, this schedule could reduce the total duration of the treatment series by half compared to standard protocols!

The results of accelerated TMS from Brainsway’s study were impressive. They found that patients who received the accelerated treatment had their depression scores drop by an average of 18.9 points, compared to 19.9 points for those receiving the standard treatment. Response rates were also nearly identical: 87.8% for the accelerated group and 87.5% for the standard group. Additionally, the study found that patients who received the accelerated treatment achieved remission in 21 days compared to the standard treatment where patients achieved remission in 28 days. Although the difference between scores is small, the results of this study strongly suggest that accelerated dTMS can yield similar outcomes in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) compared to standard dTMS.

Accelerated dTMS addresses a critical aspect of TMS treatment: the logistical challenge of attending frequent sessions over an extended period of time. Although accelerated deepTMS is not yet FDA approved iTBS is FDA approved and a different accelerated TMS protocol called the SAINT which was developed through research at Stanford is also FDA approved.  Unfortunately thus far this accelerated protocol is not yet covered by most insurance plans so is a self pay option.

Sources:

Revolutionary 6-Day depression treatment matches standard protocol success in Brainsway Clinical trial. Stock Titan. (2025, June 11).

https://www.stocktitan.net/news/BWAY/brains-way-reports-positive-results-from-multicenter-rand omized-346zo249b5wd.html