Accelerated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) brings multiple treatment sessions into a single day, shortening the overall treatment schedule compared with conventional once-daily TMS. At Principium Psychiatry, we offer a range of accelerated TMS protocols using MagVenture technology, including courses that can be completed over three weeks and more intensive options completed in just one week. The schedule is selected following a psychiatric evaluation, taking into account your treatment history, clinical needs, and availability.
Our medical director, Dr. Ziv E. Cohen, has been providing TMS since 2008 and was among the first providers at Weill Cornell trained in the treatment. He has followed the field’s development from once-daily stimulation to today’s accelerated protocols. Our approach combines that clinical experience with careful attention to published research and the individual patient.
Principium Psychiatry delivers accelerated TMS using a MagVenture system. In May 2026, the FDA cleared the MagVenture Accelerated TMS Therapy System for adults with major depressive disorder who have not achieved satisfactory improvement from antidepressant medication during the current depressive episode.
The clearance includes accelerated intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS), with schedules of up to ten sessions per day. Its five-day iTBS schedule consists of ten sessions daily over five consecutive treatment days, totaling fifty sessions. This provides an option for completing the initial treatment course within one week.
The clearance permits standard scalp-based targeting methods; MRI-based neuronavigation is optional. Before treatment, we perform motor-threshold mapping to determine the stimulation intensity and establish the treatment location.
Read the FDA clearance documentation for the MagVenture Accelerated TMS Therapy System, K260189.
Our team will explain the recommended schedule, the time required each day, and the follow-up plan before treatment begins. Completing the initial course in five days does not mean that every patient will experience their full benefit within that week.
Accelerated TMS offers a shorter treatment calendar, which can make care more practical for patients managing work, family responsibilities, or travel. Depending on the protocol, patients attend multiple sessions each day rather than returning for one session daily over many weeks.
Patients also deserve to understand the evidence behind treatment. The studies below describe research using MagVenture equipment, with the equipment and treatment schedules identified so that the findings can be interpreted accurately.
Three sessions per day: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial
A 2025 study published in JAMA Psychiatry randomized 100 adults with treatment-resistant depression to active or sham treatment. Researchers used MagVenture R30 equipment and standard scalp measurements to locate the treatment site. Patients received three theta-burst sessions per day over fifteen weekdays.
At the week-five assessment, depression severity scores had decreased by an average of approximately 55% with active treatment, compared with approximately 32% with sham treatment. Remission occurred in 34% of the active-treatment group and 16% of the sham group. Treatment was generally well tolerated, although scalp pain was more frequent with active stimulation.
Read Ramos et al., JAMA Psychiatry, 2025, on PubMed.
Five sessions per day: UCLA clinical outcomes
A UCLA study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders in 2026 compared forty patients receiving five sessions daily for five days with 135 patients receiving conventional once-daily treatment over six weeks. The accelerated group received either prolonged theta-burst stimulation or an individualized stimulation approach. Equipment used in the study included MagVenture MagPro X100 and Magstim devices.
Average PHQ-9 depression scores fell from 17.68 to 10.98 in the accelerated group and from 17.83 to 8.97 in the conventional group. The difference in symptom improvement between groups was not statistically significant. Some accelerated-treatment patients continued improving during the two to four weeks after treatment ended.
This was a retrospective review of clinical records rather than a randomized trial, and it studied a different schedule from the ten-session-per-day option described above.
Read Apostol et al., Journal of Affective Disorders, 2026, on PubMed.
The foundation for theta-burst treatment: the THREE-D trial
The THREE-D trial, published in The Lancet in 2018, randomized 414 patients to intermittent theta-burst stimulation or conventional high-frequency TMS. Using MagVenture equipment, the study found that approximately three-minute theta-burst sessions were noninferior to conventional sessions lasting approximately thirty-seven minutes.
This trial studied once-daily treatment, rather than an accelerated schedule. It provides important evidence for the theta-burst stimulation approach used in many accelerated protocols.
Read Blumberger et al., The Lancet, 2018, on PubMed.
These studies examined different schedules, patient populations, and treatment methods. Their findings are published research results, not Principium-specific outcome rates or a prediction of an individual patient’s response. We review progress during treatment and afterward, because improvement may continue after the initial course has ended.
Many patients report a temporary feeling of mild pain or discomfort on the treatment site during the treatment session. Other temporary side effects include muscle twitching and pain in the jaw.
We welcome local as well as international clients. Located in NYC, Greenwich CT and Santa Monica CA our location offers proximity to top of the line hotels and accommodations. Clients will have access to numerous attractions in NYC and LA while receiving treatment.
Principium Psychiatry offers accelerated TMS using MagVenture technology, including three-week courses and intensive five-day options. To discuss whether accelerated TMS may be appropriate for your depression, schedule a consultation with our team. We will review your treatment history, explain the available protocols and supporting research, and recommend a treatment plan suited to your needs.
