Anthony’s psychiatrist referred him to TMS Center of Colorado for treatment with Brainsway® deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS). Now 22 years of age, Anthony suffered from treatment-resistant depression since adolescence that had gotten progressively worse over time. Without even a single month free of depression since age 14, he was diagnosed with a severe single episode of major depressive disorder. Formerly a high performing student, depression caused his grades to slip, and he was struggling to stay in college. His depression also made it difficult to maintain friendships.
At the time of his TMS evaluation, Anthony had been engaged with psychotherapy and had undergone several trials of antidepressants, including Effexor, Remeron, Celexa, Prozac and Zoloft. Assessments administered for depression during evaluation yielded a Beck Depression Inventory-II® (BDI-II) score of 43 – categorized as extreme depression–and a Patient Health Questionnaire-9® (PHQ-9) score of 17, categorized as moderately severe depression. Based on his treatment history and assessment scores, Anthony was recommended for a full course of dTMS treatment, which was carried out at TMS Center of Colorado.
Anthony received a total of 30 dTMS treatments over three and a half weeks using a standard protocol for depression. After just one week of treatment, both Anthony and the supervising TMS psychiatrist noted that his mood seemed “brighter”, and Anthony’s BDI-II score had dropped nearly 70% from evaluation (42 to 13).
At the end of two weeks of treatment, he noted that his mood was “way higher”, and his PHQ-9 score saw a reduction of more than 75%, that reflected remission of depression (17 to 4). By the end of treatment, his BDI-II score had decreased by nearly 80% from evaluation (42 to 9) to reflect full remission of his depression. At his last appointment, he smiled and laughed, stating that he was “feeling good!” and looking forward to returning to college and continuing his education.