A New Way to Complete TMS Faster – Accelerated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
About Accelerated TMS Treatment
Transcranial Magnetic Simulation (TMS) is a non-invasive, FDA approved treatment option for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder offered at Olympia Center for TMS & Psychiatry. Typical TMS treatment consists of one TMS treatment administered once daily, over the course of six weeks, followed by a three-week taper schedule. This treatment schedule typically requires a full nine weeks commitment for TMS treatments, with the first six weeks being the most intensive.
At Olympia Center for TMS & Psychiatry, we use MagVentureTM for TMS treatments. In May of 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)1 granted clearance to expand the indication of the MagVenture TMS device to include accelerated TMS protocols for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder.
What does this mean for our patients?
FDA clearance for accelerated TMS treatment means that our clinic has the flexibility to provide multiple TMS sessions per day, tailoring the treatment schedule to each individual’s circumstances or lifestyle. Having this capability allows for the possibility of significantly reducing the overall treatment duration, meaning less time away from work, parenting, or other obligations. Reducing total treatment duration can also benefit patients living outside the area by minimizing the number of trips to the clinic for TMS treatment. There is a minimum time needed in between each TMS treatment, but this is dependent on the protocol used and will be discussed with your physician.
Does accelerated TMS change the total number of sessions?
No! In most cases, the total number of TMS sessions for a complete treatment remains the same. With accelerated TMS, the same number of sessions are used multiple times per day, to allow for a faster completed treatment, versus the standard 9 weeks of treatment with the traditional treatment schedule.
Does insurance cover accelerated TMS?
It depends. Insurance companies don’t always update their medical policies to reflect the most recent FDA approvals. Coverage may vary depending on your insurance provider. One major local insurer specifically allows for up to 10 TMS sessions per day! Another major insurer only requires that the treatment be FDA approved, which it is. Some insurers, unfortunately, still list accelerated TMS as experimental and won’t cover more than one session per day. At Olympia TMS, we have staff available to help guide you through your options.
What does the science say about accelerated TMS treatment?
Multiple studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of accelerated TMS2 for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder. Furthermore, additional studies have demonstrated that there is no significant difference between accelerated TMS and the standard TMS treatment schedule. 3,4
- MagVenture Accelerated TMS (aTMS) Therapy System. FDA.gov. Accessed September 21, 2026. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf26/K260189.pdf
- Chen L, Fukuda AM, Jiang S, et al. Treating Depression With Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: A Clinician’s Guide. Am J Psychiatry. 2025;182(6):525-541. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.20240859
- Chen L, Thomas EH, Kaewpijit P, Miljevic A, Hughes R, Hahn L, Kato Y, Gill S, Clarke P, Ng F, Paterson T, Giam A, Sarma S, Hoy KE, Galletly C, Fitzgerald PB. Accelerated theta burst stimulation for the treatment of depression: A randomised controlled trial. Brain Stimulation. 2021;14:1095–1105.
- Barnes R, Skvarc D, Fitzgerald PB, et al. Equal remission rates and reduced length of hospital stay with twice-daily repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for major depression – A large naturalistic retrospective cohort association study. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2023;127:110820. doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110820
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