Key Learnings
- TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) is a non-invasive, drug-free therapy that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate the brain’s “command center”—the prefrontal cortex. Research indicates this can strengthen the neural networks responsible for executive function, leading to significant improvements in focus and impulse control.
- Unlike standard TMS, MeRT (Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy) uses EEG brain mapping to customize treatment to your unique brain signature. This personalized approach aims to synchronize brain activity, offering a more tailored option for children and adults who haven’t found success with traditional medications.
- Major systematic reviews and recent meta-analyses have found that brain stimulation has a moderate-to-high positive effect on ADHD symptoms. These studies suggest that TMS is most effective when used to “prime” the brain for cognitive training and skill-building. TMS and MeRT are best understood as adjunctive (add-on) therapies.
Why Brain-Based Treatments for ADHD Are Getting Attention
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is today one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, affecting children, teens, and adults in ways that ripple through school, work, relationships, and daily life.
For many families and adults, traditional ADHD treatment—most often stimulant medications paired with behavioral therapies—can be helpful. For others, those same tools come with side effects, limited benefits, or a feeling that they’re treating symptoms without addressing what’s happening in the brain.
That gap is why interest in brain-based approaches to non-drug treatments has grown. Non‑invasive brain stimulation, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), is being studied as a possible way to influence the neural networks involved in attention, impulse control, and self‑regulation.
This article takes a grounded look at what the research says, what remains uncertain, and how more personalized approaches like MeRT (Magnetic e‑Resonance Therapy), used at CIPS Center for Brain Care, fit into the bigger picture.
Understanding ADHD From a Brain-Based Perspective
What Is ADHD, Clinically Speaking?
Clinically, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) as a pattern of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behaviors that interferes with functioning or development. An ADHD diagnosis is based on symptom history, clinical interviews, and behavioral assessments, not a single test or scan. You may also hear the term attention deficit disorder used informally, though it’s no longer a separate diagnostic category.
Core ADHD Symptoms and Functional Challenges
ADHD symptoms often show up as difficulty sustaining attention, poor impulse control, restlessness, or problems with organization and follow‑through. Over time, these challenges can affect academic performance, emotional regulation, self control, and confidence. Environmental factors, stress, and co‑occurring conditions can increase risk or intensify symptoms.
ADHD and Neural Activity
Research using tools like functional MRI has consistently shown differences in brain activity and connectivity in people with ADHD, particularly in networks involved in cognitive control and sustained attention.
Importantly, these findings don’t point to a single “ADHD spot” in the brain. Instead, they suggest patterns of disregulated neural activity—patterns that brain‑based treatments aim to influence.
What Is Brain Stimulation?
Non‑invasive brain stimulation refers to techniques that influence brain activity from outside the skull, without surgery or implants. In ADHD research, this generally means using magnetic or electrical signals to gently stimulate targeted brain regions.
Types of Brain Stimulation Studied in ADHD
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) uses magnetic pulses to induce small electrical currents in specific areas of the brain. A typical TMS treatment involves sitting in a chair while a coil placed on the scalp delivers brief pulses. When researchers talk about transcranial magnetic stimulation for ADHD, they are usually referring to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), where pulses are delivered repeatedly to influence neural activity over time.
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) uses a low‑level electrical current applied through electrodes on the scalp. Direct current stimulation is easier to administer but delivers less focal stimulation, and the evidence base for ADHD remains limited.
Together, these approaches fall under the broader umbrella of brain stimulation, but they are not interchangeable, and their effects can vary widely depending on how they’re used.
Can TMS Therapy Help With ADHD?
What the Research Says So Far
Research into TMS therapy for ADHD is emerging and promising. Systematic reviews and meta analysis studies suggest that repetitive TMS may lead to improvements in certain ADHD symptoms, particularly attention and impulse control, in some individuals.
Randomized controlled trials and pilot study designs vary significantly in stimulation parameters, target regions, and outcome measures, which makes singular conclusions difficult. Studies tend to focus on specific symptoms such as inattention, impulsivity, and aspects of cognitive control. Some research combines TMS with cognitive training or cognitive behavioral therapy, suggesting that brain stimulation may work best when paired with skill‑building rather than used in isolation.
- Targeting Executive Function: Research targeting the prefrontal cortex—the brain’s “command center”—has shown that rTMS can lead to meaningful reductions in ADHD symptom scores by stimulating the neural networks responsible for self-regulation and focus.
- Established Efficacy: A major systematic review and meta-analysis by Bloch et al. (2016) found moderate positive effects of non-invasive brain stimulation on attention and executive function, noting that results are most promising when brain targets are precisely selected.
- The “Additive” Benefit: More recent studies, including meta-analyses by Fu et al. (2025), show that rTMS can be particularly effective when paired with cognitive training. This suggests a potential additive effect, where stimulation “primes” the brain to better engage with and retain new skills.
These findings are encouraging, but they also reinforce that outcomes are variable and dependent on protocol design, individual brain differences, and how stimulation is integrated with broader treatment strategies.
At this point, TMS treatment is not considered a standard or first‑line ADHD treatment. It is best understood as an adjunctive option being actively studied, with quite promising outcomes in many individuals.
Safety and Side Effects of TMS Therapy
Safety data for TMS comes largely from its extensive use in other psychiatric disorders, including major depression and obsessive compulsive disorder, where it is tolerated quite well and with no major safety concerns. In ADHD research, TMS is generally well tolerated when conducted under medical supervision.
The most commonly reported side effects include scalp discomfort or mild headaches during or after sessions. Hearing protection is typically used to reduce risk of hearing loss from the clicking sound of the magnetic stimulation. Serious adverse events are rare, but as with any brain stimulation technique, there is a small risk of inducing seizures, which is why proper screening is core to our work.
MeRT vs Standard TMS: Why the Distinction Matters
What Is MeRT?
MeRT, or Magnetic e‑Resonance Therapy, is a personalized form of transcranial magnetic stimulation. Instead of using a one‑size‑fits‑all protocol, MeRT integrates EEG data and, in some cases, functional MRI findings to tailor stimulation parameters to an individual’s brain activity patterns.
How MeRT Differs From Conventional TMS
Standard TMS protocols often rely on generalized targeting and fixed frequencies. MeRT focuses on individualized targeting and frequency selection, with the goal of helping normalize dysregulated neural activity rather than simply suppressing symptoms. This personalization is especially relevant in ADHD, where brain activity patterns can vary widely from person to person.
At CIPS, MeRT is generally positioned as an adjunctive approach within a broader ADHD management plan. The emphasis is on careful assessment, personalization, and integration with other supports—not on replacing established treatments.
How Brain Stimulation Fits Into an ADHD Treatment Plan
TMS and MeRT are best understood as potential additions to, not replacements for, comprehensive ADHD treatment. Behavioral therapies, ADHD medications, academic accommodations, and skills‑based supports remain foundational for many families, though we recognize that not all treatments work equally for all patients.
Brain stimulation may be considered when symptoms persist despite traditional treatments or when side effects limit other options.
Looking Ahead: What Brain‑Based ADHD Care Is (and Isn’t) Yet
Interest in brain stimulation for ADHD reflects a broader shift toward understanding how underlying brain activity contributes to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, rather than focusing only on outward behaviors.
If you’re considering non-medication ADHD treatment options near you and want to better understand whether brain‑based care could be appropriate in your situation, a consultation can be a helpful next step. At CIPS, our goal is to support thoughtful ADHD management by evaluating the brain directly and discussing treatment options with evidence‑informed therapy, so you can decide what makes the most sense for you or your child.
Give us a call to learn more and schedule a consultation.
