transcranial magnetic stimulation

noun

trans·cra·ni·al magnetic stimulation | \ ˌtran(t)s-ˈkrā-nē-əl-

, ˌtranz- \

Definition of transcranial magnetic stimulation

: a noninvasive technique for stimulating brain neurons that uses an insulated electromagnetic coil placed superficially on the skull to produce magnetic fields which penetrate cranial tissue and generate electric currents in specific areas of the brain —abbreviation TMS

Note: Transcranial magnetic stimulation is used especially to test and localize brain functions and to treat depression and some forms of pain.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation, which has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for depression, targets neurons in areas of the brain involved in mood by placing a magnetic coil on the head.— Sarah Baldauf Now a small but growing number of researchers see hope in a tool called transcranial magnetic stimulation, which lets scientists spark activity in specific areas of the brain and watch what happens to patients' behavior.— Carolyn Y. Johnson

Examples of transcranial magnetic stimulation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Several noninvasive techniques, like transcranial magnetic stimulation, can stimulate people’s brain activity and are being tested as treatments for a range of psychiatric disorders. — New York Times, 25 May 2021 The lack of buy-in isn’t surprising to George, who saw a similar roadblock as a developer of a different form of noninvasive brain stimulation: transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of persistent depression. — Katie Palmer, STAT, 24 Apr. 2021 Kim said that Ryan wound up continuing transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment at Insight Choices. — Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2021 At King's College London, neuropsychiatrist Tim Nicholson and his team are examining a noninvasive method of exciting the brain known as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as a potential intervention for FND. — Diana Kwon, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2020 More recently, in 2016, Italian scientists used transcranial magnetic stimulation during the rubber hand experiment to trigger electrical pulses in the region of the brain that controls hand movement. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 20 Jan. 2020 In some instances a treatment called deep transcranial magnetic stimulation, might be used as an alternative or in combination with medication as a therapy. — CBS News, 23 Oct. 2019 Initially, most evidence for mirroring in humans was derived from studies that probed the activity of millions of neurons simultaneously, using techniques such as fMRI, EEG, magnetoencephalography and transcranial magnetic stimulation. — Raleigh Mcelvery, WIRED, 31 Mar. 2019 Her husband finally convinced her to meet with a psychiatrist offering a treatment called deep transcranial magnetic stimulation or deep TMS. — CBS News, 23 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'transcranial magnetic stimulation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

29 May 2021

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“Transcranial magnetic stimulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transcranial%20magnetic%20stimulation. Accessed 21 Jun. 2021.

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transcranial magnetic stimulation

noun

Medical Definition of transcranial magnetic stimulation

: a noninvasive technique for stimulating brain neurons that uses an insulated electromagnetic coil usually placed superficially on the scalp to produce magnetic fields which generate electric currents in specific areas of the brain

Note: Transcranial magnetic stimulation is used especially to measure and map brain functions and to treat depression and neuropathic pain.

Now a small but growing number of researchers see hope in a tool called transcranial magnetic stimulation, which lets scientists spark activity in specific areas of the brain and watch what happens to patients' behavior.— Carolyn Y. Johnson, The Boston Globe, 8 June 2009 After a suicide attempt in 2009, she tried something radically different: transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, a treatment in which magnetic pulses are used to stimulate parts of the brain believed to be involved in mood regulation.— Roni Caryn Rabin, The New York Times, 2 July 2013 —abbreviation TMS