TMS - A PROVEN THERAPY FOR OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER

Leading Connecticut & Massachusetts Provider

Achieve TMS East Among the First to Offer FDA-Approved dTMS Treatment for OCD

Achieve TMS East, a leading provider of deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), is offering treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) at several of its select centers in Massachusetts including Northampton, Leominster, and Westborough. Our technicians use Brainsway’s deep TMS technology, offering our patients the most advanced technology for the treatment of OCD and Major Depression. It was in August 2018 that Brainsway’s OCD treatment protocol was approved by the FDA.

How dTMS Treatment for OCD Works

TMS for OCD is a localized, non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic fields to reset or neutralize neural pathways in the CSTC (cortico-striatal-thalamo-corticol) circuits of the brain, the area involved with obsessive, persistent and intrusive thoughts, and/or compulsive or ritualized actions that cause distress or impairment. In the course of a lifetime, OCD impacts 2.3% of the population and commonly is co-occurrent with mood disorders, anxiety, tic disorders or schizophrenia. Roughly half of OCD patients do not experience a meaningful improvement in their symptoms from traditional therapies or medication alone. There are currently five medications that are approved in the U.S. for treatment of OCD. TMS is approved as an adjunct treatment for OCD to support and enhance the impact of therapy and/or medication.

Patient's Treatment Stories

Treating OCD with Deep TMS

Deep TMS treatment for OCD involves daily 20 minute treatments, five days per week for about six weeks. There are no adverse side effects, and patients are able to safely drive to school or work immediately afterward. During treatment, patients are fitted with a specially-built helmet, containing a patented H7-coil that is mapped to each patient’s CSTC coordinates. These circuits are responsible for attention allocation, impulse inhibition and motor activity. Magnetic pulses reaching up to 3.0 cm into the cerebral cortex gently stimulate the brain circuits impacted by OCD, combating hypersensitivity in these structures.

The impact of TMS on the treatment of OCD is measured by assessing a patient’s scores on the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS). Based on clinical data, 38% of patients using TMS to treat OCD will see a ~30% decrease in the YBOCS score after 6 weeks. This equates to a drop of 6-7 points. Meanwhile, roughly 55% of patients will see a partial decrease (4-5 points) after 6 weeks. The decrease in symptoms is normally gradual and not apparent until roughly 3 weeks into treatment.

Insurance Coverage for TMS

Insurance accepted for treating Depression, specifically TMS therapy, has more than doubled in the last few years, a sign that insurance companies must see cost savings in a treatment method for major depressive disorder (MDD) that works more efficiently than the traditional regimen alone. Patients who continually suffer from the debilitating effects of medication-resistant depression may acquire other health conditions as a result, such as a substance abuse disorder or unhealthy weight gain, to name a few. The fact that more and more insurance companies are providing coverage for TMS indicates a cost benefit to the insurer, thus the broadening of benefits.

The following are some of the insurance plans currently working with Achieve TMS East: Aetna, BCBS, BMC, Cigna, Commonwealth Care Alliance, Fallon Health, GIC, Harvard Pilgrim, Husky, Masshealth PCC Plan, Medicare, Neighborhood Health Plan, One Care, Tricare, Tufts Health Plan, and United Health Care. If you don’t see your plan listed, please call and ask us about yours today.

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