The History of TMS: A Non-Invasive Breakthrough for Mental Health

Living with treatment-resistant depression can be an exhausting journey. Trying multiple antidepressant medications that fail to bring relief often leaves individuals and their loved ones feeling fatigued and searching for ways to get help for depression. If you are exploring new avenues for care, you might find yourself asking: what is TMS?

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive procedure that uses gentle magnetic pulses to stimulate nerve cells in the brain regions responsible for mood control. Rather than relying on systemic chemicals through the bloodstream, it targets the brain’s physical circuitry directly.

While it might seem like a recent development, the history of TMS spans decades. It has evolved from a raw scientific discovery into a hyper-personalized tool for rapid remission. This article traces that full arc, from its earliest electromagnetic foundations to the modern breakthroughs available today.

How Was Depression Treated Before TMS?

Although the modern diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) crystallized in the 20th century, the condition itself has been recognized for thousands of years. Historically referred to as “melancholia,” depression has challenged medical professionals to find effective, lasting treatments for their patients.

For the last several decades, the standard approach focused primarily on altering brain chemistry through oral antidepressants. While these medications help many, a substantial portion of patients do not achieve full relief from traditional pharmacological options.¹ This chemical approach also introduces systemic side effects that can be difficult to manage.

For severe cases, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) emerged as an effective historical option. However, ECT carries significant drawbacks, including the necessity of general anesthesia and the potential risk of memory disruption. These factors make it a daunting prospect for many patients seeking care.

Recognizing these limitations, researchers initiated a structural pivot in mental health treatment. They began looking for a non-invasive path that targeted the brain’s physical circuits directly. The goal was to develop a therapy without systemic drug side effects or the intensive nature of ECT, laying the groundwork for magnetic stimulation.

The Timeline: How Long Has TMS Been Around?

When exploring non-drug alternatives, patients frequently ask: how long has TMS been around? The TMS history timeline stretches much further back than many realize, rooted in foundational physics before becoming a psychiatric breakthrough.

The 19th Century Foundations of Electromagnetism

The earliest roots of this technology trace back to Michael Faraday’s groundbreaking discovery of electromagnetic induction in 1831. Faraday proved that a moving magnetic field could safely generate a local electrical current. This core scientific principle eventually became the foundation for using magnetic fields to interact with the human body’s nervous system.

1985: The Invention of the Modern Device

The modern era of this medical technology officially began in 1985. Anthony Barker and his dedicated research team at the University of Sheffield created the first successful TMS device. Initially, they used this early machine to study motor pathway signals in the brain, successfully demonstrating that magnetic fields could safely stimulate human neural tissue without causing harm.

The 1990s: Turning the Focus to Depression

During the 1990s, the specific psychiatric applications of magnetic stimulation began to take distinct shape. Dr. Mark George and researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) discovered that targeting repetitive magnetic pulses at the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) could positively adjust mood regulation, opening a crucial door for clinical depression treatment.

Did you know? Two of the researchers who would later develop SAINT®, Dr. Nolan Williams and Dr. Brandon Bentzley, trained under Dr. George at MUSC before continuing this work at Stanford — where SAINT® was ultimately developed.

2008: The First FDA Clearance

After years of dedicated clinical trials, the technology reached a major regulatory milestone in 2008. The FDA formally cleared first-generation repetitive TMS (rTMS) for adults with MDD who had failed to find relief from prior antidepressant medications. This clearance established the therapy as a viable, mainstream psychiatric intervention for patients needing new options.

The Evolution of TMS Treatment

While the 2008 clearance was a monumental step, early TMS technology had distinct limitations. Anatomical targeting relied on the “5 cm rule,” a physical measurement used to estimate the treatment area on the scalp. This meant the magnetic coil was placed in roughly the same generalized spot for every individual, without accounting for the natural variations in unique brain structure.

Additionally, traditional treatments presented a heavy logistical burden for patients. The standard protocol required daily, 40-minute clinical sessions across roughly six continuous weeks. For many people living with depression, managing this extensive schedule alongside work, travel, and family obligations presented a substantial hurdle to finishing their care.

To improve the patient experience, researchers developed a modified pulse pattern called intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS). A landmark 2018 trial demonstrated that iTBS was as effective as standard rTMS while condensing individual session lengths down to roughly three minutes. The FDA officially cleared the iTBS protocol in 2019. However, while the daily session length shrank considerably, the overall treatment course still historically required the same six weeks of total time.

The Next Horizon: How SAINT Reinvents Treatment Speed and Accuracy

Today, the field has advanced beyond standard approaches. While SAINT belongs to the TMS family because it uses non-invasive magnetic stimulation, it is not standard traditional TMS. It changes the treatment process through two major leaps: precision targeting and accelerated delivery.

Solving One-Size-Fits-All with Precision Targeting

Rather than estimating where to place the magnetic coil using generalized scalp measurements, the SAINT Neuromodulation System uses structural and functional MRI (fMRI). Paired with a specialized algorithm, this process visualizes an individual’s unique brain connectivity. It maps the exact anatomical spot needed to treat your specific depression network, ensuring highly personalized care.

Solving “The Waiting Game” with Compressed Acceleration

SAINT also condenses the historical timeline of traditional therapies. Instead of stretching treatment across six weeks of daily visits, it delivers an accelerated schedule of iTBS sessions over just five consecutive days. For patients wondering what to expect during SAINT treatment, this condensed schedule allows you to complete a full course of therapy in a single week.

Unprecedented Clinical Efficacy

This combination of precision and acceleration yields significant outcomes. In a small, rigorous double-blind, sham-controlled randomized trial featuring 14 participants in the active-treatment group, 79% of individuals achieved remission from their depressive episode at some point during the four-week follow-up period.² This was compared to a much lower rate in the sham group, highlighting the impact of fMRI-guided targeting.

Bringing the History to Today: FDA Clearance

The innovation moved from a research protocol to an available treatment on a national scale recently. In September 2022, the SAINT Neuromodulation System received FDA 510(k) clearance for adults with MDD who have failed to achieve satisfactory improvement from prior antidepressant medications.³ For hospital administrators and clinicians, this clearance specifically opened the door to treating hospitalized and ER patients on an accelerated schedule, providing a rapid-acting option for severe episodes.

Take the Next Step Toward Rapid Relief

If you or a loved one is navigating major depressive disorder, a faster, more personalized path is available. Consult our guide to depression treatment to learn more about SAINT today, or speak with a verified provider to determine if this advanced therapy is the right fit for your brain health journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

¹ Rush, A. J., et al. (2006). Acute and longer-term outcomes in depressed outpatients requiring one or several treatment steps: a STAR*D report. The American journal of psychiatry, 163(11), 1905–1917. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.2006.163.11.1905

² Cole, E. J., et al. (2022). Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy (SNT): A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial. The American journal of Psychiatry, 179(2), 132–141. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.20101429

³ Magnus Medical, Inc. (2022). Magnus Medical Receives FDA Clearance for the SAINT Neuromodulation System. FDA 510(k) Clearance K220239.