No, these two procedures are very different.
While both brain stimulation therapies are effective in the treatment of depression, there are many differences in safety and tolerability. During TMS, patients sit in a chair and are awake and alert throughout the entire procedure. Since there is no sedation, patients can travel unaccompanied to and from their treatment sessions.
TMS is a non-convulsive procedure and has been shown to have no negative effects on memory function. In contrast, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), also referred to as “shock therapy,” is invasive, requires inducing a seizure to exert its therapeutic effect, and therefore has to be delivered under general anaesthesia. Short-term confusion and memory loss are common, but generally mild and transient side-effects. Anaesthesia risks, cognitive side-effects, pre-operative fasting and post-operative recovery can all make ECT a less attractive treatment option.