Rewiring the Brain: Why dTMS is the Next Big Step in Mental Health

How dTMS Offers a Fresh Start When Nothing Else Seems to Work

By Jess Wight | June 04, 2026

“The best treatment is fundamentally the one that’s highly likely to get patients well and highly unlikely to hurt them, and ideally, these are treatments that are quick, convenient, inexpensive, and accessible.” 

Radial CMO, Owen Muir, discussing dTMS as a treatment option

Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) is a mental health treatment option pioneered by BrainsWay. Since receiving FDA clearance in 2013, it has been used to successfully treat a range of conditions from major depressive disorder (MDD) to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and even smoking cessation.

dTMS has a high success rate in treating patients with MDD; a meta-analysis involving more than 600 participants across six clinical trials identified significant improvement in depressive symptoms across all studies. Real-world evidence is constantly expanding, with recent studies published just this month showing that a course of dTMS significantly reduces the distressing symptoms of MDD; not just low mood but associated symptoms including lack of concentration and trouble sleeping too. This kind of comprehensive improvement to patients’ well-being is just one of the many reasons dTMS is growing in popularity as a treatment option across both Canada and the rest of the world.

Some people suffering from MDD display signs of treatment resistance. This is where patients see no improvement to symptoms following treatment, which can include both cognitive behavior therapy and anti-depressant medications (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)). There are many reasons why patients can’t medication: these include medications having no effect on their depression, patients experiencing an intolerance to the medication, or experiencing adverse side effects such as brain fog, agitation, and even an increase in suicidal thoughts or attempts. All of these are unfortunately more common than you may think – some studies report as many as 55% of patients currently suffering from MDD meet the criteria for treatment-resistance. This level of prevalence highlights an urgent need for an alternative treatment option for people with MDD currently feeling hopeless following repeated treatment failures. Reaching out for help from a dark place can be a monumental endeavor for people with MDD, and so to then experience no improvement following their hard efforts through traditional therapies must be incredibly disheartening. Thankfully, dTMS can provide the urgently needed lifeline for these otherwise defeated individuals.

dTMS has proven a successful option for patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression – Researchers recently reported “high response rates” in patients exhibiting considerable treatment-resistance; participants showed resistance not only to medications – including both SSRIs and psychedelics - but to other forms of magnetic stimulation like electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) which uses a different coil that doesn’t penetrate deep into the brain like dTMS. In this recently published study, patients also displayed “meaningful remission,” providing further evidence of the longevity of dTMS as a treatment option. This study, alongside countless others, provides a glimmer of hope for patients feeling lost in their mental health journey, with dTMS serving as a light at the end of the dark tunnel that is life with MDD.

Device-based interventions like dTMS could change the future of MDD treatment, providing more consistent results in improving the overall well-being of patients. As more supporting research is published, dTMS continues to replace traditional therapies in clinics across Canada and indeed other countries too. in the US, companies like Radial Health are beginning to push for a shift towards technologies such as dTMS. Radial Health is just one example of a growing fleet of companies rewriting the narrative in mental health care. In a recent interview to mark mental health awareness month 2026, Radial’s CMO, Owen Muir, describes dTMS as one of their most efficacious device-based treatment options offered at their clinics. He too is deeply concerned by the alarmingly high rates of treatment-resistant depression, hence Radial’s strong focus on steering treatment programs away from traditional methods.

“If I told you I’m going to roll you into the OR and fix your broken leg, and it’ll work, the first time we do the operation, 30% of the time. That would mean 70% of people are going to come in for another operation, and that one will only work 5% of the time, but we’re going to keep going until either your leg snaps off or we get it right, and by the way, you’ll limp forever. This is effectively the standard of care (SoC) in psychiatry as a discipline if you only use oral medications with limited effectiveness.”

Radial’s CMO, Owen Muir, describing the efficacy of SSRIs in MDD treatment

A move towards providing dTMS as a standard of care is a much-needed step in the treatment of MDD. It is no surprise when looking at the statistics that patients are often reluctant to seek help for their depression; to have a strong evidence-based treatment programme like dTMS readily available across Canada would be a gamechanger. Here at Neurogenesis Clinic in North Vancouver and we stand proud as BC’s first dTMS providers. We have a psychiatrist who manages each patient carefully and diligently to ensue recovery from depression. Our mission is simple: to provide effective, non-invasive, reliable treatment to improve the wellbeing of those who need it most.