Neuronetics’ TouchStar Protocol Cleared for Depression

FDA has cleared a Neuronetics 510(k) for its TouchStar treatment, a three-minute intermittent theta burst protocol for use with its NeuroStar Advanced Therapy System. “The new protocol arms physicians with the ability to now offer a third FDA-cleared treatment protocol with NeuroStar Advanced Therapy, a non-drug, non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment for major depressive disorder that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain that are underactive in depression,” the company says. The TouchStar protocol provides physicians and their patients with a shorter treatment option using higher frequency pulses while helping ensure that the proper dose is being given at every session, it says. It also uses a “contact sensing” technology to monitor the device’s contoured coil, which is designed with a curve to fit the head and provides continuous real-time feedback about the coil’s angle and contact with the head.