Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a method of non-invasively stimulating the brain, has just recently gained clearance for the treatment of major depression. This is one of the first FDA clearances of TMS for a brain disorder. TMS has actually been around quite some time (since 1985) and has shown considerable promise for treating a variety of brain disorders. TMS has been used by scientists to deactivate or activate specific regions of the brain's outer layer (the neocortex) by sending multiple electromagnetic pulses through a person's skull using a TMS device. These electromagnetic pulses are able to create an electric current in a very targeted brain region. This electric current can then cause either an inhibition or an excitation of the underlying brain tissue depending on which frequency of the TMS pulse that is used. High frequency electromagnetic pulses are able to excite brain tissue while lower frequency pulses tend to decrease brain activity. So specific brain regions may be selectively activated or deactivated. Brain disorders often have hyperactive or hypoactive activity in specific regions, and TMS is able to selectively adjust this brain activity non-invasively.
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