Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a medical therapy used to treat clinical depression. Though TMS is noninvasive by nature, it is typically reserved for cases of depression that have not responded to other interventions. Psychiatrists note that about two-thirds of people who take antidepressants for depression continue to suffer from one or more symptoms two months after starting treatment. Clinical evidence also shows that the likelihood of an antidepressant failing to provide adequate relief increases every time a patient changes to a different medication. TMS offers an alternative to depression sufferers whose condition has proven difficult to treat with antidepressants. The procedure was approved for use in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2008.