NeuroStar is a non-invasive FDA-cleared therapy that uses short magnetic pulses to stimulate nerve cells in the area of the brain that controls mood. These pulses can have a lasting effect on the brain’s neurotransmitter levels, helping people suffering from depression, anxiety symptoms in those with depression, and OCD achieve response and in some cases long-term remission from depression symptoms.5,8,12,15,20,22 Because NeuroStar is not a drug, it doesn’t cause the side effects that are often associated with antidepressants.9

NeuroStar is a non-drug and non-invasive treatment for depression, anxiety symptoms associated with depression and OCD delivered in a doctor’s office. You recline comfortably in a NeuroStar chair during treatment. During a treatment session, precisely targeted magnetic pulses stimulate the mood-regulating areas in the brain.12,15 There is no anesthesia or sedation. You are fully awake and alert during treatment, and you can resume normal activities immediately after a treatment session.

If you suffer from depression or anxiety symptoms associated with depression, but have not benefited from your current medications—or are not happy with their side effects—NeuroStar Advanced Therapy may be right for you.

NeuroStar is a non-drug, non-invasive therapy that can help you achieve long-term relief from the symptoms of depression.5,8 Many people’s depression symptoms significantly improve or go away after 4 to 6 weeks of treatment. In clinical studies, NeuroStar has shown to provide acute treatment response and remission*** for over one year.5,8

An FDA-cleared depression treatment, NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is safe and easy to tolerate.9 Because it’s non-drug and non-invasive, it’s free of systemic side effects.1,9 NeuroStar does not have any effects on cognition or sleep.9 The most common side effect associated with NeuroStar is mild to moderate pain or discomfort that typically subsides within the first week of treatment.16,18

During the session, you will feel a tapping sensation on your head. Each treatment session lasts around 19 minutes. Some NeuroStar patients experience mild to moderate pain or discomfort at or near the treatment site during the first week of treatment. This is usually temporary and subsides in subsequent treatments.

NeuroStar is not ECT (or electroconvulsive ”shock” therapy). NeuroStar employs TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation), which uses magnetic waves similar in strength to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). NeuroStar TMS is precise and focused, targeting treatment at the source of the depression: your brain. With Neurostar TMS you are fully awake and alert during treatment and may resume daily activities immediately afterwards. ECT, on the other hand, applies direct electrical current through the skull and into the brain rather than magnetic waves. Because ECT uses direct electrical current, it must be done under anesthesia. For more details, ask your doctor about the difference between TMS and ECT.

NeuroStar TMS Therapy for depression is covered by most insurance plans, including Medicare and Tricare, usually after medication options have proven ineffective in your major depression treatment.