transcranial magnetic stimulation
noun
trans·cra·ni·al magnetic stimulation ˌtran(t)s-ˈkrā-nē-əl- 
ˌtranz-
: a noninvasive technique for stimulating brain neurons that uses an insulated electromagnetic coil placed superficially on the skull to produce magnetic fields which penetrate cranial tissue and generate electric currents in specific areas of the brain —abbreviation TMS
Note: Transcranial magnetic stimulation is used especially to test and localize brain functions and to treat depression and some forms of pain.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation, which has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for depression, targets neurons in areas of the brain involved in mood by placing a magnetic coil on the head.
Sarah Baldauf
Sarah BaldaufNow a small but growing number of researchers see hope in a tool called transcranial magnetic stimulation, which lets scientists spark activity in specific areas of the brain and watch what happens to patients' behavior. Carolyn Y. Johnson
Carolyn Y. Johnson
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web An alternate version that uses magnetic fields, called transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat depression. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 22 Aug. 2022 Other research subjects are receiving transcranial magnetic stimulation, in which current is delivered through a device held to the outside of the head. Caleb Hellerman, CNN, 15 Feb. 2022 Using either high- or low-frequency energy waves, the technique can reach brain structures much deeper than those accessible by transcranial magnetic stimulation. Caleb Hellerman, CNN, 15 Feb. 2022 And in 2020, the Food and Drug Administration approved a transcranial magnetic stimulation device to help patients quit smoking, a milestone for substance use disorders. Isabella Cueto, STAT, 14 Jan. 2022 More recently, studies have started to focus on writing brain waves to directly insert information to the brain through, for example, transcranial magnetic stimulation. Rashed Haq, Wired, 20 Jan. 2022 Another study led by VA researchers looked at transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a noninvasive procedure that uses magnets to stimulate the brain, which has been shown to help treatment-resistant depression. Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Sep. 2021 Several noninvasive techniques, like transcranial magnetic stimulation, can stimulate people’s brain activity and are being tested as treatments for a range of psychiatric disorders. New York Times, 25 May 2021 The lack of buy-in isn’t surprising to George, who saw a similar roadblock as a developer of a different form of noninvasive brain stimulation: transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of persistent depression. Katie Palmer, STAT, 24 Apr. 2021 See More
Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 22 Aug. 2022 Other research subjects are receiving transcranial magnetic stimulation, in which current is delivered through a device held to the outside of the head. Caleb Hellerman, CNN, 15 Feb. 2022 Using either high- or low-frequency energy waves, the technique can reach brain structures much deeper than those accessible by transcranial magnetic stimulation. Caleb Hellerman, CNN, 15 Feb. 2022 And in 2020, the Food and Drug Administration approved a transcranial magnetic stimulation device to help patients quit smoking, a milestone for substance use disorders. Isabella Cueto, STAT, 14 Jan. 2022 More recently, studies have started to focus on writing brain waves to directly insert information to the brain through, for example, transcranial magnetic stimulation. Rashed Haq, Wired, 20 Jan. 2022 Another study led by VA researchers looked at transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a noninvasive procedure that uses magnets to stimulate the brain, which has been shown to help treatment-resistant depression. Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Sep. 2021 Several noninvasive techniques, like transcranial magnetic stimulation, can stimulate people’s brain activity and are being tested as treatments for a range of psychiatric disorders. New York Times, 25 May 2021 The lack of buy-in isn’t surprising to George, who saw a similar roadblock as a developer of a different form of noninvasive brain stimulation: transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of persistent depression. Katie Palmer, STAT, 24 Apr. 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
1988, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
transcranial magnetic stimulation
noun
: a noninvasive technique for stimulating brain neurons that uses an insulated electromagnetic coil usually placed superficially on the scalp to produce magnetic fields which generate electric currents in specific areas of the brain
Note: Transcranial magnetic stimulation is used especially to measure and map brain functions and to treat depression and neuropathic pain.
Now a small but growing number of researchers see hope in a tool called transcranial magnetic stimulation, which lets scientists spark activity in specific areas of the brain and watch what happens to patients' behavior. Carolyn Y. Johnson, The Boston Globe
Carolyn Y. Johnson, The Boston GlobeAfter a suicide attempt in 2009, she tried something radically different: transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, a treatment in which magnetic pulses are used to stimulate parts of the brain believed to be involved in mood regulation. Roni Caryn Rabin, The New York Times
—abbreviation TMS Roni Caryn Rabin, The New York Times