Written for parents in Columbia, Ellicott City, Clarksville, and across Howard County who are trying to work out what comes next for a teenager whose depression has not lifted.
Call (443) 546-1100 to schedule a free consultation.
Your teenager has been depressed for a while. You have probably done therapy. You have probably tried at least one antidepressant, maybe more, and either it did not help enough or the side effects were not worth what it gave back.
You are tired, your teen is tired, and you are looking for something that is not another prescription.
That is the situation TMS is built for.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation uses magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain involved in mood regulation. The pulses are delivered through a coil positioned against the head.
There is no medication involved. There is no anesthesia and no sedation. Your teen sits in a chair, awake, for the duration of the session, and walks out afterward and goes about their day.
It is not electroconvulsive therapy. Parents mix these up frequently and the confusion causes real anxiety, so it is worth stating plainly: they are different treatments. TMS does not involve seizures, sedation, or memory effects.
You may have read that children and teens cannot receive TMS. That is not accurate for adolescents who qualify.
NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is indicated as an adjunct for the treatment of major depressive disorder in adolescent patients ages 15 to 21. The clearance is specific and it exists.
What is genuinely less common is a TMS practice led by a physician trained in adolescent psychiatry. Dr. Brett Greenberger is board certified in child and adolescent psychiatry as well as adult psychiatry, which is why this practice treats teens.
You will see the word adjunct in the indication. It means TMS is used alongside existing treatment rather than replacing it.
Practically: your teen does not stop therapy to start TMS, and any decision about medication stays with their prescribing physician. TMS is added to what is already happening.
The most common side effect is pain or discomfort at or near the treatment site. It happens during the treatment course and for most patients stops after the first week.
There is a rare risk of seizure associated with TMS therapy, occurring in fewer than 0.1 percent of patients. Your teen’s evaluation with Dr. Greenberger includes screening for factors that would make treatment inappropriate.
Because there is no medication, there are none of the systemic effects that come with oral antidepressants. For families who stopped a medication because of weight changes, sleep disruption, or emotional blunting, that difference is usually the point.
Results vary between individuals. The evaluation with Dr. Greenberger exists to determine whether your particular clinical picture makes TMS a reasonable option.
In a large registry study of patients treated with NeuroStar TMS, 83 percent of those completing the treatment course showed measurable improvement in depression symptoms, and 62 percent no longer met the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder afterward (Sackeim et al., 2020, Journal of Affective Disorders).
Those numbers come from adult registry data, and individual results vary. Nobody can tell you in advance how your teen will respond. Anyone who does is overselling.
Free consultation. You and your teen meet our Clinical Coordinator for 30 to 60 minutes. She explains how TMS works and asks some initial questions. No cost, no obligation.
Evaluation with Dr. Greenberger. A 60 minute appointment covering your teen’s mental health and psychiatric history. This is where the clinical decision gets made.
Motor threshold determination. On the first treatment day, Dr. Greenberger and a certified TMS Treater find the exact treatment location on your teen’s head and set the correct dose. Every patient’s anatomy is different. This visit runs about 60 to 90 minutes and includes the first treatment.
Treatment course. After that, the coordinates are saved and sessions are shorter. Your teen stays awake, and goes back to school, practice, or work the same day.
If you are comparing providers, these are the questions that separate them:
You are entitled to clear answers to all of those before committing your child to a course of treatment.
We accept all health insurances and our staff handles prior authorization directly with your insurer. Adolescent coverage varies more between plans than adult coverage, and our staff will tell you exactly what yours requires. See our insurance and coverage page.
The adolescent indication covers patients ages 15 to 21.
Sessions are scheduled around school where possible, and patients return to normal activity immediately afterward.
No. TMS is used alongside existing treatment. Medication decisions stay with the prescribing physician.
Yes. There is no sedation involved.
No. They are different treatments. TMS does not involve seizures, sedation, or anesthesia.
Bring them to the consultation anyway. Most teenagers arrive skeptical and leave with a clearer picture. It is free and nothing is committed to on the day.
Call (443) 546-1100. Our office is at 8820 Columbia 100 Parkway, Suite 201, Columbia, MD 21045, serving Columbia, Ellicott City, Clarksville, and the greater Baltimore and Washington area.
NeuroStar Advanced Therapy is available only by prescription. Patients’ results may vary. Full safety and prescribing information is available at neurostar.com.
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