Considering the nature of the process and the fact that patients who experience seizures may not be suitable for treatment, it is understandable to think of TMS therapy and electroconvulsive therapy as one and the same. In truth, there are several key differences between these two types of treatments; in fact, the only thing they really have in common with one another is that they are both types of treatments designed to stimulate and regulate electrical activity within the brain.

However, as stated, there are plenty of differences to note. For one, ECT relies on a heavy usage of electricity because most of it encircles the skull since electricity doesn’t want to penetrate the solid surface. The amount of electricity applied induces intentional seizures, whereas TMS therapy is considerably less invasive and doesn’t run the same risk of damaging the brain. Nowadays, patients undergoing ECT are put under so the seizures aren’t very visible. However, in TMS therapy, no such seizures are necessary; magnetic pulses easily penetrate the skull without going very deep.