You sit in what looks like a dentist's chair and a psychiatrist places a metal coil against your head. Rapid magnetic pulses penetrate your scalp and skull and produce a mild electrical current in the left prefrontal cortex of your brain. You feel a tickling sensation and hear a loud tapping sound. The treatment, known as TMS, for transcranial magnetic stimulation, lasts about 40 minutes and is done daily for four to six weeks. If you're suffering from major depression, you could start feeling better within a few weeks.

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