TMS + Ketamine for Smoking Addiction

Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Deep TMS™) is a safe and effective aid for short-term smoking cessation in adults. This is the first FDA clearance for any addiction when it comes to TMS devices.

Using patented H4 Coil, the treatment generates electromagnetic pulses that stimulate neurons in brain structures associated with addiction – specifically the bilateral insula and prefrontal cortex. This type of pulse reaches wider and deeper brain regions than traditional TMS devices.

A double-blind, sham-controlled, multicenter randomized controlled trial of 262 patients found Deep TMS to significantly improve the continuous quit rate, reducing craving and the average number of cigarettes smoked per week. Participants in the study were highly addicted to smoking, with a history of smoking an average of over 26 years and multiple failed attempts to quit.

Deep TMS is a well-tolerated, noninvasive treatment with no systemic side effects. It does not require a significant recovery period, and the 18-min treatment can easily be integrated into each patient’s day-to-day schedule.

Combining Deep TMS with Ketamine (optional) may prove to be more efficacious than either alone in treating smoking cravings and addiction.

How it works: After placing you in a comfortable recliner chair, the TMS headpiece is placed and positioned properly. Then, using a microscopic needle a small dose of Ketamine is administered, which will both dull any discomfort from the TMS pulses and add to the benefits of the protocol.

Cost: At this time, insurance does cover TMS for smoking cessation. The entire cost of the procedure, TMS + Ketamine, is $275.

Studies:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29339170/

https://www.brainsway.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/World-Psychiatry_October-2021.pdf