Restore Brain Highlights New Insights on How TMS Therapy Works Following Dallas Behavioral Health Summit

Company executive John Cavanagh shared emerging research on how magnetic pulses may help disrupt and recalibrate abnormal patterns of neural communication.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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Restore Brain, a multi-state interventional behavioral health practice specializing in neuromodulation, shared new clinical insights into how Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) works following a recent Behavioral Health Summit held at UT Southwestern in Dallas. During a panel discussion, Restore Brain executive John Cavanagh addressed how emerging research suggests depression may be a disorder of dysfunctional brain signaling, and how magnetic pulses from TMS may help reverse abnormal brain signals in regions associated with mood regulation.

Why it matters

Unlike medication, which acts systemically throughout the body, TMS targets specific regions of the brain associated with mood, motivation, and executive function. This targeted, non-invasive approach has positioned TMS as an important treatment option for patients who have not experienced adequate relief through conventional therapies.

The details

Cavanagh referenced research from Stanford University suggesting that depression is increasingly understood as a disorder of dysfunctional brain signaling rather than solely a chemical imbalance. He explained that the magnetic pulses delivered through TMS may help disrupt and recalibrate abnormal patterns of neural communication in regions of the brain associated with mood regulation. Cavanagh also referenced the work of Dr. Mark Raichle of St. Louis, Missouri, who developed a mathematical framework for analyzing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe how entire brain networks communicate in real time.

  • The Behavioral Health Summit was held at UT Southwestern in Dallas on February 9, 2026.

The players

John Cavanagh

An executive at Restore Brain, a multi-state interventional behavioral health practice specializing in neuromodulation.

Dr. Mark Raichle

A researcher in St. Louis, Missouri who developed a mathematical framework for analyzing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe how entire brain networks communicate in real time.

Dr. Arturo Taca, M.D.

A published contributor to peer-reviewed research on the role of neuromodulation in advancing treatment options for patients, including a clinical intervention for withdrawal management in opiate addiction.

Restore Brain

A multi-state interventional behavioral health practice specializing in advanced treatments for depression, including TMS therapy and other evidence-based neuromodulation approaches.

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What they’re saying

“It is believed that magnetic pulses from the TMS coil may reverse the direction of abnormal brain signals.”

— John Cavanagh, Executive, Restore Brain (UT Southwestern Behavioral Health Summit)

What’s next

Ongoing research is aimed at identifying measurable biomarkers for depression to enable more precise, individualized care through neuromodulation approaches like TMS.

The takeaway

Advances in neuromodulation and functional brain imaging continue to move psychiatry toward more targeted, non-invasive treatment options for patients who have not experienced adequate relief through conventional therapies, positioning TMS as an important tool in the fight against depression.