"Brainsway a company that makes a transmagnetic stimulation TMS device https can now market it as a treatment for obsessivecompulsive disorder.  TMS treats conditions by delivering brief powerful magnetic field pulses that stimulate nerve cells in the brain. The procedure is noninvasive and doesnt require anesthesia and the pulses are delivered via an electromagnetic device or coil that is placed or worn on the head. The Food and Drug Administration https made the announcement on Friday expanding the use of a technology that has been around for decades. The FDA first approved TMS devices for major depression in  and in  they were approved to treat pain associated with some types of migraine headaches.  The approval was based on a clinical trial of  people with obsessivecompulsive disorder where roughly half received treatment with TMS and the other half had a sham treatment that didnt deliver the electromagnetic pulses. People who were taking medication for OCD continued to do so for the trial. Overall  of the people with the real device responded to the treatment compared with  of those with the sham device. A response was considered a  reduction in the YaleBrown Obsessive Compulsive Scale YBOCS score httpspsychologytools.comyalebrownobsessivecompulsivescale which is used to measure the severity of OCD symptoms. OCD is an anxiety disorder marked by obsessive and compulsive https thoughts and behaviors that are intrusive repetitive and potentially debilitating.    OCD is often treated with psychotherapy and antidepressant medication but TMS has been explored as an option https About . of adults in the US have OCD https at some point in their lifetime and the condition is more common in women than men. The most common side effect in the clinical trial was headache which occurred in . of the treatment group and . of the sham treatment group. Other possible side effects were mild and included temporary jaw or face pain muscle spasms or twitching and neck pain. The device shouldnt be used if you have any other implants or metallic devices in or near your head such as cochlear implants stents aneurysm clips or coils and vagus nerve stimulators among others. And jewelry and hair barrettes are a problem too. During treatment with the device the patient must use earplugs to reduce exposure to the loud sounds produced by the device according to the FDA and anyone who has had a seizure should discuss it with their doctor before undergoing the treatment. The marketing approval was through a program for low to moderaterisk devices that are new and theres no equivalent device already available to patients.  Transcranial magnetic stimulation has shown its potential to help patients suffering from depression and headaches Carlos Pea director of the Division of Neurological and Physical Medicine Devices in the FDAs Center for Devices and Radiological Health said in a statement. With todays marketing authorization patients with OCD who have not responded to traditional treatments now have another option. OCD   Things People Dont Understand About OCD https JeanLuc Bouchard  Sept.      Painfully Accurate Pictures That Reveal What Its Like Living With OCD https Maggy van Eijk  Nov.     My Life With OCD https Dani Beck  Dec.      Times Mental Health Was Accurately Portrayed In TV And Movies In  https Anthony Rivas  Dec."