How Quickly Can SAINT® TMS Work?

It is important to distinguish between how long a treatment takes to deliver and how quickly a person feels better. The SAINT® protocol is delivered over five consecutive days — ten short sessions per day with roughly 50-minute breaks. That is the treatment schedule.

When improvement happens is a separate question. Some people in the clinical trials showed measurable improvement during the five-day treatment week. Others improved in the days or weeks that followed. And some did not respond at all. The five-day schedule makes treatment faster to complete than six weeks of conventional TMS, but it does not guarantee that results come within five days.

In the 2020 open-label study of SAINT® (then called Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy), 19 of 21 completers (90.5%) met remission criteria after five days. Among those who responded, the average time to remission was 2.6 days. This study had no placebo comparison group, so the results are promising but not definitive.

In the 2022 double-blind, sham-controlled randomized trial, 78.6% of the active treatment group (11 of 14 analyzed participants) met remission criteria at four weeks, compared with 13.3% (2 of 15) of the sham group. Remission was measured at the four-week follow-up, not on day five. Both studies were small and conducted at a single site.

These are trial statistics describing groups, not guaranteed outcomes for any individual. Learn more about what SAINT® TMS is.

Based on the trial data and clinical experience, some patients notice changes during the five-day treatment week — sometimes within the first two or three days. Others notice improvement in the days and weeks after treatment ends. The four-week follow-up in the randomized trial was designed to capture the point at which remission was assessed.

It is also important to know that not everyone responds. In the randomized trial, about one in five participants in the active group did not meet remission criteria at four weeks. Individual response depends on diagnosis, treatment history, and factors that are not fully understood.

Conventional TMS is delivered one session per day, five days a week, for about four to six weeks — 30 to 36 sessions total. Improvement with conventional TMS is typically measured after several weeks of treatment.

SAINT® compresses the course into five consecutive days with 50 total sessions. The accelerated schedule means the treatment is completed in one week rather than six. For patients who cannot commit to six weeks of daily visits, or who are in a severe episode, this timeline may be a reason they seek out SAINT®.

If you are considering SAINT® TMS, the most important thing to understand is that the five-day schedule describes the treatment, not a promise. Some people respond quickly — within days. Others respond more gradually, and some do not respond at all.

A consultation with a psychiatrist is the best way to set realistic expectations based on your diagnosis, medication history, and treatment goals. Request a consultation or call 954-827-9793.