Teenagers today are under a lot of pressure, from school and expectations to social media and relationships. When depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions are added to their plate, it can be difficult to focus and keep up with these demands.
Talk therapy and medication can help, but they don’t work for everyone. Fortunately, there’s another treatment that may be available for your teen called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). It’s a safe and drug-free option for teens who are struggling with their mental health.
Keep reading to learn how TMS for adolescents works, how it affects the developing brain, and what teens and parents can expect from treatment.
What is TMS and How Does it Work?
TMS is a non-invasive brain stimulation treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate specific areas of the brain that are involved in mood, decision-making, and emotional regulation. TMS is thought to reset dysfunctional brain circuits that may be responsible for conditions like depression and anxiety. Unlike medication or surgery, TMS doesn’t require sedation or anesthesia.
While most research is focused on TMS for adults, emerging studies are showing promising results for adolescents. Over time, this treatment may help restore healthy communication between brain regions involved in emotional regulation.
How Does TMS Affect the Teen Brain?
Teen brains are still developing in areas responsible for emotion regulation, decision-making, and impulse control. This is part of what makes adolescence such a vulnerable time for mental health struggles.
TMS interacts with GABA, which helps calm the brain, and glutamate, which stimulates it. By adjusting these systems, TMS may help rebalance the brain’s emotional circuitry. Research suggests this could make TMS beneficial for certain mental health conditions where those systems are dysregulated.
What Does TMS Treat in Teens?
While TMS is only FDA-approved for depression in adolescents aged 15 and up, it’s being explored off-label for a range of other mental health conditions. Compared to medication, TMS influences the brain directly and has fewer side effects. Conditions it may help treat in teens include:
- Anxiety disorders
- Obsessive-compulse disorder
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
TMS has even been recommended as a first-line adjunctive therapy for teen depression and when combined with therapy and family support, it has shown strong response and remission rates.
Depression
Teen depression can look different from adult depression. Common signs include:
- Poor academic performance
- Withdrawing from friends or hobbies
- Anger, frustration, or rage
- Overreacting to criticism or failure
If these symptoms last more than two weeks, your doctor may recommend an antidepressant and/or talk therapy. However, studies show that around 30% of adolescents with depression don’t respond to these treatments.
TMS may be another alternative. One study found a decrease in depressive symptoms in teens and young adults, with a 78% response rate and a 48% remission rate. Side effects were mild and temporary, and there’s no evidence of cognitive impairment in teens who’ve undergone TMS.
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety in teens is often caused by pressure to do their best in school, fear of being judged, or the need to be perfect at all times. These kinds of pressures can affect several areas of their life.
By directly targeting the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, an area responsible for fear processing and emotional regulation, TMS may help calm the overactive circuits that drive chronic worry.
In clinical studies, TMS has shown potential for treating teen anxiety:
- One study found a 50% remission rate after just 10 days of treatment. Almost 70% showed a significant improvement in their symptoms.
- Another study found a 66% response rate and 40% remission after a full course of 36 sessions.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
OCD in teens presents as a pattern of intrusive thoughts or urges that trigger intense distress. To get rid of that discomfort, teens will engage in repetitive behaviors, such as checking and counting or compulsive reassurance-seeking. It can interfere not only with school, but it can also affect a teen’s daily functioning.
Compared to other mental health conditions in teens, OCD is one of the least studied. However, one case study may offer hope. A 14-year-old boy with severe, treatment-resistant OCD underwent repetitive TMS (rTMS) that targeted the area of the brain responsible for emotional regulation and reward learning. After 40 sessions:
- His OCD symptoms dropped by 50%
- He spent less time on intrusive thoughts and felt less distressed by them
- He was able to taper of medications that had caused weight gain and nausea
- His energy, mood, and focus improved
- He returned to school, earned straight A’s, and resumed his normal activities
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
As school demands increase and adult oversight decreases, teenagers are expected to stay organized, manage time, and focus independently. ADHD can make these transitions much more difficult.
Although stimulants are the most common treatment, 10-30% of teens don’t respond well to medication or experience side effects like appetite loss or sleep problems. There’s also the risk of misuse in some cases. However, TMS has been shown to improve focus and attention in school and less hyperactivity and impulsivity at home.
Is TMS Safe for Adolescents?
TMS is safe and well-tolerated in teens with mild and temporary side effects. The most commonly reported effects were scalp discomfort and mild headaches. A more serious, but rare, side effect is seizures. Additionally, wearing earplugs during treatment sessions will help prevent hearing loss.
Why Choose TMS for Adolescents?
When therapy and medication have little to no effect on your teen’s mental health, TMS may be a safer and more favorable option. Here are some of the reasons families are choosing TMS for their teenagers:
- No needles, sedation, or surgery
- Mild and temporary side effects
- Can return to school or extracurriculars right after treatment session
- Helps stabilize emotional highs and lows
- Long-lasting benefits
In one long-term follow-up study, 60% of patients still had a positive response after 12 months, and 30% stayed in remission. Overall, about 84% reported noticeable benefits after a full course of TMS.
What Adolescents Can Expect From TMS Treatment
TMS involves a series of sessions over a specific period of time, depending on your teen’s treatment plan. Here’s how the process usually works:
- A mental health provider will review your teen’s symptoms, treatment history, and overall health to determine if TMS is a good fit.
- Sessions are usually scheduled five days a week for several weeks. Each session lasts about 20-30 minutes.
- During treatment, your teen will sit in a comfortable chair while a technician positions a magnetic coil over a specific area of the scalp. They may hear clicking sounds and feel a light tapping on the scalp.
- Doctors will track mood, behavior, and any side effects to ensure treatment is working.
TMS may be even more effective when combined with talk therapy, lifestyle changes, and family support.
Is TMS Right for Your Teen?
If your teen is struggling with their mental health, consider talking to your doctor about TMS. At Pulse TMS, we offer compassionate, evidence-based care that’s based on the individual’s specific goals and needs. Our team will guide you through the TMS process, answer your questions, and help determine if this treatment is the right fit for your teen. Reach out today to schedule a consultation.
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