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Learn MoreTranscranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a safe, effective, noninvasive, outpatient treatment for depression. It uses a magnetic coil to activate parts of the brain that are linked with depression to help them work more effectively.
Many people notice an improvement in their depressive symptoms, even when medications and therapy have not worked.
TMS is most often used when medications have not been successful
First we use a small magnetic coil to find the portion of your brain that makes your right thumb move. We use this to find both the location and dosage for treatments--individualized to your unique brain. A larger treatment coil is then placed next to this location and magnetic pulses are delivered.
Treatments are daily for about 7 weeks or 36 treatments total--usually for 3 minutes each.
TMS is well tolerated and side effects are uncommon and usually mild. Some may experience a mild headache or scalp discomfort. These typically go away once the treatment is over. Muscle twitching in the forehead or jaw can occur during the stimulation.
A serious but very rare side effect associated with TMS therapy is seizures. However, the risk of seizures is very low—similar to that of antidepressant medications. If you have a seizure disorder, TMS may not be right for you.
To find out if you’re a candidate for TMS therapy, call us at (312) 996-2200. You’ll undergo a screening process that includes the following:
Once you’re approved for treatment by UIC and your insurance provider, we’ll begin scheduling your series of appointments.
Dr. Petry attended Loyola Stritch School of Medicine then began residency in the UIC Psychiatry program where he was Chief Resident of Education and selected as a National Neuroscience Curriculum Initiative Scholar. He works on the inpatient med-psych unit, in the outpatient neuropsychiatry clinic, as a supervisor of medical student and resident trainees, and performs Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) procedures.
Dr. Cooper completed undergraduate studies in Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University, medical school and residency in Psychiatry at the University of Chicago, fellowship in Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry at Northwestern University, and Fellowship in Medical Education Research, Innovation, Teaching and Scholarship (MERITS) at the University of Chicago. He is a Fellow of the American Neuropsychiatric Association. From 2018-2024 he served as the Director of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry and in 2024 assumed the role of Director of the Psychiatry Residency Training Program.
Dr. Ahluwalia serves as director of the inpatient psychiatry consult-liaison service. His other role is as an internist providing primary care and some inpatient internal medicine coverage. His hope is to integrate medical and psychiatric care in order to improve patient outcomes ...
Dr. Victor Valencia grew up in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. He received a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at Loyola University of Chicago. He received his Medical Degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. Dr. Valencia is currently a visiting clinical instructor and the BNNP fellow at the University of Illinois Chicago. Dr. Victor Valencia's professional interests include research, catatonia, neuromodulation, and neuropsychiatry.
Call today to speak with one of our intake coordinators. 312.996.2200
