PTSD
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
A Personalized, Drug-Free Approach to Care
MeRT® for PTSD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic or life-threatening event, or following prolonged periods of severe stress. For some individuals, symptoms persist and significantly interfere with daily life, relationships, sleep, and emotional regulation.
At Brain Treatment Center Dallas, we offer EEG-guided repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) — also known as MeRT® (Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy) — as a personalized, noninvasive approach for those with PTSD who are seeking alternatives to medication-based care.
This approach uses gentle magnetic stimulation, guided by advanced brain mapping, to support healthier brain communication patterns.
Important Context About PTSD
Symptoms of PTSD may not appear immediately after trauma and can sometimes emerge years later. While many people recover over time with support, others experience symptoms that persist for months or years.
Research estimates that approximately 3.6% of U.S. adults experience PTSD in a year, with higher prevalence among those exposed to repeated or severe trauma.
A Personalized Neuromodulation Approach
MeRT (Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy) is an EEG-guided, individualized application of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Rather than applying the same stimulation settings to every patient, this approach uses detailed neurophysiological data to help guide treatment parameters individually.
Before treatment begins, we perform diagnostic testing to evaluate brainwave activity and functional patterns. We then analyze this information to identify areas of dysregulation and timing differences in neural communication. Based on these findings, stimulation parameters may be adjusted to better align with the brain’s intrinsic rhythms, with the goal of supporting more efficient communication between neural networks.
The TMS equipment used in MeRT protocols is FDA-cleared for Major Depressive Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
When applied to PTSD, MeRT is offered as an off-label, investigational use of rTMS.
It was absolutely terrifying to not know what was wrong with me or how to fix the problem. BTC not only identified the deteriorated state of my brainwave activity, they restored its function.”
– US Army Veteran
Spencer O. Miller, M.D. is a Board-Certified Neurologist in Dallas, Texas. He received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine and has been in practice for 13 years, 5 of which were in the USAF, where he saw all types of brain injuries, including soldiers suffering from PTSD and TBI. He specializes in the treatment of ADHD, sleep disorders, traumatic brain injury, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, dementia, autism, and multiple other brain disorders at his clinic, the Brain Treatment Center Dallas.
“We’re trying to make the brain operate as efficiently as possible.”
We measure the electrical signals in the brain in frequency and location and neural networks as to where things actually occur in the brain. And when we see on an EEG [electroencephalogram] that there is an abnormal signal somewhere in the brain or a low frequency or discrepancy or asynchrony in frequencies. …
The brain has an intrinsic frequency and… all of us have a unique intrinsic frequency — it’s different for everybody. And if you can align all of the brain tissue to operate under that same frequency that’s called synchrony coherence efficiency. …We’re trying to make the brain operate as efficiently as possible.”
–Dr. Spencer O. Miller, Neurologist, Owner and Medical Director of Brain Treatment Center Dallas
Symptoms and Risk Factors of PTSD
PTSD symptoms can significantly affect quality of life, relationships, and the ability to manage everyday stressors. Symptoms may include:
- Anxiety, panic, or hypervigilance
- Flashbacks or intrusive memories
- Difficulty sleeping or recurrent nightmares
- Emotional numbness or withdrawal
- Irritability, anger, or mood changes
- Difficulty concentrating or memory challenges
- Feelings of hopelessness or guilt
- Avoidance of people, places, or reminders of trauma
- Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
PTSD can arise from a variety of traumatic experiences, including combat exposure, assault, childhood abuse, accidents, or other life-threatening events. Risk may be higher with repeated trauma, lack of social support, or a personal or family history of mental health conditions.
Some of the most common events that can lead to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder include combat exposure, sexual or physical assault, childhood abuse, an accident, or any other trauma, such as a fire or a plane crash, that is threatening to your life.
“It was life-changing…”
I received MeRT treatment from Dr. Miller back in 2021. It was life changing! I have struggled with Complex PTSD for many years. After treatment, I was able to get off my medication and have been thriving. Highly recommend anyone struggling with PTSD, depression, and/or anxiety to look into this treatment. It is worth the time and money to get back to your old self. Dr. Miller truly saved my life by treating me and I can’t thank him enough!”
– Kasey C.
Starting as a New Patient
New patients begin with two initial appointments, typically scheduled two days apart. These visits allow Dr. Miller to determine whether treatment may be appropriate and to develop a personalized plan based on diagnostic testing.
There is no obligation to proceed with treatment after testing and consultation.
Initial Testing
At your first appointment, we will review your reasons for seeking help, medical history, health goals, and your symptoms.You will then begin initial testing, which will involve an EEG and an EKG. These are both completely painless and easy and done right in our office. We then send your information and test results to our scientific and clinical teams, who will carefully analyze the results and determine the current state and functioning of the brain together with Dr. Miller.
We use a patented, scientific approach, leveraging neurophysiological data gathered through testing, to develop a highly customized treatment plan that supports healthy brain communication and function.
Consultation
At your second appointment, you will meet with Dr. Miller for a consultation. He will discuss your test results and whether he and our scientific team feel you may achieve results through our treatment protocol. This appointment will also address questions you may have.
After the second appointment, Dr. Miller will outline your individualized treatment plan and the protocols to be followed for the best results. At that point, you may discuss fees, treatment duration, and scheduling, then decide whether to proceed.
Test Run – The Assessment
We deliver the MeRT protocol using TMS. You simply sit in a comfortable chair while a trained technician carefully positions a simple device on your head. This device produces a magnetic field to induce mild electrical currents in the targeted regions of the brain. There is no pain and no electrical currents, just a slight sensation.
We will perform an additional EEG and EKG after about a week of treatment, allowing us to assess progress and make any needed modifications. In this way, we consistently take the best, most rigorous approach based on the current neurological state.
Insurance & Billing
Insurance coverage does not currently apply to MeRT treatment for PTSD.
We can provide CPT codes and billing documentation for certain diagnostic services, such as EEGs or clinical evaluations, depending on individual coverage. Medicare does not reimburse MeRT treatment costs.
MeRT Treatment Featured on The Broken Brain Podcast
The Broken Brain Podcast explores the inner workings of the brain and body. One episode featured MeRT as a breakthrough treatment for a variety of neurological issues, particularly PTSD.
Dr. Eric Won from Wave Neuroscience (the parent company of MeRT) speaks about using MeRT treatment with members of the military who have experienced depression, TBI, and PTSD because of their service to their country. Dr. Won also testifies to the successes these veterans have achieved through treatment.
Research & Ongoing Study
MeRT for PTSD is an individualized adaptation of rTMS, a technology that has been extensively studied in neuroscience and psychiatric research.
Multiple peer-reviewed studies have explored EEG-guided and frequency-specific rTMS approaches for PTSD and related conditions. These studies suggest potential benefits in symptom reduction and sleep quality; however, further research is ongoing.
A retrospective chart review to assess the impact of alpha-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation on symptoms of PTSD and depression in active-duty special operations service members, 21 June 2024.
“This data provides a demonstration of significant reduction in PTSD and depression symptoms and safety with the application of a-rTMS in active-duty special operations military personnel. Expansion of targeted neuromodulation programs could be impactful for military and civilian populations.”
How Electric Therapy Is Curing Navy SEALs of PTSD, Jan 2019.
“Hundreds of vets have tried out an experimental new treatment that could change how the world addresses mental disorders.” And, “All said that they saw big improvements after a course of therapy that ran five days a week for about four weeks.”
Synchronized transcranial magnetic stimulation for posttraumatic stress disorder and comorbid major depression.
“All participants demonstrated significant reductions in PTSD and MDD symptoms (all p < .001). As expected, there were significant reductions in symptoms in both treatment groups, but active stimulation did provide greater reductions in count of PTSD moderate-to-severe symptoms.”
Magnetic Resonance Therapy Improve Clinical Phenotype and EEG Alpha Power in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, in Trauma Monthly, November 2015.
“This study suggests that non-invasive neuromodulation magnetic resonance therapy may lead clinical improvements as well as a trend toward normalization of EEG pathophysiology in PTSD.”
Magnetic E-Resonant Therapy Alleviates Combat Related Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, in Aerospace Medical Association, March 2017.
“Our preliminary results suggest that transcranial MeRT may provide an alternate method to help veterans suffering from PTSD.”
Individualized Electromagnetic Treatment in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: a Randomized, Double-blind, Sham-controlled Trial, Poster Accepted, Taghva, et al.
“This double-blind, randomized, controlled trial shows that transcranial magnetic therapy based on individualized frequencies derived from EEG/EKG is an effective therapy for PTSD in improving overall symptoms and quality of sleep.”
EEG_EKG Guided TMS in veterans with PTSD_Randomized double-blinded pilot study.
“Following 2 weeks of EEG-EKG guided transmagnetic stimulation, significant changes in symptom severity and EEG measures are reported for 80 retired military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Patients had greatest comparative reductions in PCL-M subscales VII “avoid situation indicator” XII “short future indicator” and XIII “trouble falling or staying asleep indicator”. The improvement in sleep was confirmed for treated vs sham group in PSQI-A, and, may suggest correlation between sleep disorder and PTSD symptoms. Of the 37 patients who had suicidal ideation by HAM-D, 29 patients denied ideation by 4 weeks. No patient worsened in clinical PTSD symptoms after receiving therapy. “
Low-frequency, Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for the Treatment of Patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: a Double-blind, Sham-controlled Study, Nam et al, 2013.
“The present study showed low-frequency rTMS to be an effective and tolerable option for the treatment of PTSD. Trials using variable indices of rTMS to the right prefrontal cortex and explorations of the differences in the effects on specific symptom clusters may be promising avenues of research regarding the use of rTMS for PTSD.”
Contact our New Patient Coordinator for More Information about MeRT
When many patients come to see us, they have lost hope as they don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. It’s rewarding as a practitioner to help so many people realize a much better “normal” and improved quality of life.
If you have questions or would like to discuss our treatment protocols, we offer a free consultation by phone.
Our New Patient Coordinator will take the time to listen and explain. She can answer most questions and discuss our protocols, scheduling, fees, and other relevant details. She is happy to assist you in any way she can.
Please call us to get more information about how our clinic and Dr. Miller may help you with your health goals and to schedule an initial screening to see if MeRT may be an option.
Contact our New Patient Coordinator
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