04 · A Different Coil, A Different Circuit

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

For OCD that has not responded adequately to SSRIs and exposure-and-response prevention therapy.

H7BrainsWay coil
(BrainsWay H7, 2018 — first TMS system cleared for OCD)Clearance

BrainsWay was the first device manufacturer to receive FDA clearance for any TMS treatment of OCD, in August 2018. The H7 coil — different in geometry from the depression-focused H1 — engages the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate, the cortical entry points to the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical loop implicated in OCD.

OCD-targeted Deep TMS is typically delivered with brief individualized symptom provocation immediately before stimulation, to engage the relevant circuit before the magnetic pulses arrive.

FDA status

FDA-cleared (BrainsWay H7, 2018 — first TMS system cleared for OCD)

Standard protocol at IPMG TMS

5 sessions/week × 6 weeks · H7, individualized provocation, deep iTBS or HF

  • 38% response vs 11% sham
    Pivotal multisite RCT establishing FDA clearance.
    Carmi et al., Am J Psychiatry 2019
  • 65% response · 33% remission (real-world)
    Accelerated H7 protocol, 378 patients, 15 sessions.
    Mudunuru et al., Cureus 2025
  • 73% first response · 52% sustained at 1 month
    219 OCD patients across 22 H7 sites; YBOCS primary outcome.
    Roth et al., 2021
Eligibility

Who this is for.

  • Adults with OCD inadequately responsive to SSRI ± ERP/CBT
  • Patients seeking an option beyond medication and therapy
  • Patients who can tolerate brief, individualized symptom provocation

Eligibility is finalized at consultation. We screen carefully for contraindications — see the Safety page.

Talk with the IPMG TMS team.

A consultation is the right next step. We will review your prior treatments, confirm whether you meet the FDA-cleared criteria for this indication, and walk you through what your insurance covers.