Patient- and Technician-Oriented Attitudes Toward Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Devices

Four transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) devices are currently approved for use in treatment-resistant depression. The authors present the first data-driven study examining the patient- and technician-experience using three of these distinct devices. A retrospective survey design with both patient and technician arms was utilized. The study population included patients who received TMS for treatment-resistant depression at the Berenson Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation for the first time between 2013 and 2016 and technicians who worked in the program from 2009 to 2017. Statistical analysis included t tests and analyses of variance to assess differences between and across the multiple groups, respectively. Patients treated with the NeuroStar device reported greater confidence that the treatment was being performed correctly compared with those treated with the Magstim device. Conversely, with regard to tolerability, patients treated with the Magstim device reported less pain in the last week and less pain on average compared with those treated with the NeuroStar device. On average, technicians reported feeling that both the Magstim and NeuroStar devices were significantly easier to use than the Brainsway Deep TMS H-Coil device. Additionally, they found the former two devices to be more reliable and better tolerated. Furthermore, the technicians reported greater confidence in the Magstim and NeuroStar devices compared with the Brainsway Deep TMS H-Coil device and indicated that they would be more likely to recommend the two former devices to other treatment centers.