transcranial magnetic stimulation

transcranial magnetic stimulation

Neurology A technique in which a high-intensity, 1 msec magnetic pulse is administered over the skull, disrupting normal brain activity, causing neurons to misfire

transcranial magnetic stimulation

Abbreviation: TMS

The application of pulses from a magnetic coil to induce electrical currents in specific parts of the brain. This treatment has been used in experimental neuroscience to study the activity of different areas of the brain, and in psychiatry as a noninvasive alternative to electroconvulsive therapy.

See also: stimulation

Transcranial magnetic stimulation

A procedure used to treat patients with depression.

Mentioned in: Magnetic Field Therapy

transcranial magnetic stimulation,

n a diagnostic tool comparable to a nerve conduction study; uses a surface magnetic impulse over a client's head, and electrical stimulation over the neck, thus resulting in stimulation of the upper motor neurons and nerve tract so that the timing of electrical impulse from the brain to the muscle can be measured. Has also been used to treat neurologic conditions, such as migraine, epilepsy, insomnia, depression, and alcoholism.