TMS and Long COVID Symptoms: What the Research Shows

Is TMS a treatment for Long COVID?

No. TMS is not FDA-cleared for Long COVID or for its neurological symptoms. TMS is FDA-cleared for major depressive disorder, as an adjunct for OCD, and to reduce anxiety symptoms in adults who have major depressive disorder. Any use of TMS for Long COVID symptoms such as fatigue or brain fog is investigational. This page is educational and summarizes what early research shows.

What Long COVID involves

Long COVID, also called post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, refers to symptoms that persist after the initial infection. Common symptoms include fatigue, cognitive difficulty often described as brain fog, and low mood. There is no FDA-cleared brain stimulation treatment for these symptoms.

What the research shows

Research into non-invasive brain stimulation for Long COVID is at an early stage.

• A review of non-invasive brain stimulation for Long COVID fatigue described early and preliminary signals, mostly involving techniques other than TMS, and called for controlled trials.
• A TMS combined with EEG study found reduced beta-frequency activity in motor regions in patients with post-COVID fatigue. This is a measurement of brain activity, not evidence that TMS treats the condition.

These studies do not establish TMS as a treatment for Long COVID. Larger controlled trials would be needed before any conclusion about benefit.

When TMS may still be relevant

Some people with Long COVID also develop major depressive disorder. Depression is an FDA-cleared use of TMS. In that situation, TMS may be considered for the depression itself, evaluated on its own terms, not as a treatment for Long COVID. A clinical evaluation determines the diagnosis and the appropriate options.

TMS at Exxceed Wellness

We provide TMS for adults with treatment-resistant depression in Hayward, CA. We do not present TMS as a treatment for Long COVID. If depression is part of your picture, see our TMS program, our guide to treatment-resistant depression, or contact us.

Frequently asked questions

Can TMS cure Long COVID brain fog or fatigue?

No. TMS is not an established or FDA-cleared treatment for Long COVID symptoms. Research is early.

Why might a clinic mention TMS and Long COVID together?

Because depression can occur alongside Long COVID, and depression is an FDA-cleared use of TMS. The treatment target in that case is the depression, not Long COVID.

References

Based on research indexed in PubMed:

1. Linnhoff S, et al. The therapeutic potential of non-invasive brain stimulation for the treatment of Long-COVID-related cognitive fatigue. Front Immunol. 2023;13:935614. DOI.
2. Casula EP, et al. Reduced TMS-evoked EEG oscillatory activity in cortical motor regions in patients with post-COVID fatigue. Clin Neurophysiol. 2024;165:26-35. DOI.
3. U.S. FDA milestones for TMS devices: PMC.

Educational information only, not medical advice. TMS is FDA-cleared for major depressive disorder, as an adjunct for OCD, and to reduce anxiety symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder. It is not FDA-cleared for Long COVID or its neurological symptoms, and any such use is investigational. Outcomes vary, and candidacy is determined by a qualified clinician. Consult a clinician about your specific situation.

Care at Exxceed Wellness — Hayward, CA & California telehealth. We deliver FDA-cleared TMS on the Magstim Horizon 3.0 — for treatment-resistant depression, adult OCD, and adolescents 15–21 (depression, as an add-on to medication). Learn more ›, schedule a consultation, or call (415) 636-9700.