- ~30 minute sessions, 5x a week
- rTMS device stimulates the prefrontal cortex (located through an MRI, and located each session with a pre-measured cap that you wear during the session)
- rTMS is non-intrusive, and seems to have virtually no side effects (unless you have a history of epilepsy, which would have precluded you from the study)
I would describe the sessions as pain-free, with a sense of mild annoyance (the magnetic pulse feels like someone flicking you on the head with a finger). Some other people experienced headaches the first two weeks during treatment, but I didn't experience that.
In terms of effectiveness, I would say that it helped greatly reduce the symptoms of depression for me. I've struggled with depression for ~10 years, and antidepressants would sometimes help, but the side-effects were just not maintainable. With rTMS, I feel like it reduced my symptoms by about 60% (not completely gone, but man can I ever function in life again!).
It's been about 3 months since I participated in the trial, and I am now participating in their maintenance program (2 sessions a month, ~10 minutes per session). At this point, I'm recommending rTMS for those who haven't been able to find anything that works for them yet.