A STUDY OF THE PATTERN OF RESPONSE TO rTMS TREATMENT IN DEPRESSION

Abstract

A meaningful percentage (>40%) of patients respond to a course of rTMS treatment. Response does vary with a number of clinical and demographic variables but none of these variables exert a sufficiently strong influence on response rates to warrant using these criteria to exclude patients from treatment.

Cognitive component of psychomotor retardation in unipolar and bipolar depression: Is verbal fluency a relevant marker? Impact of repetitive transcranial stimulation

“…BD, bipolar depressive; ERD, French Retardation Rating Scale for Depression; HC, healthy controls; MADRS, Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale; MoCA, Montreal Cognitive Assessment; rTMS, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation; UD, unipolar depressive.…”

“…In a more explanatory way, our second purpose examined whether an rTMS treatment could concomitantly improve PMR and VF capacities, as a relevant marker characteristic of the cognitive component of PMR. Accordingly, Serafini et al validated the role of rTMS as a valuable and promising treatment for enhancing some neurocognitive features like VF capacities …”

EFFICACY, SAFETY AND TOLERABILITY OF AUGMENTATIVE rTMS IN TREATMENT OF MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD): A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY IN CROATIA

“…Results from six RCTs showed that as a whole, 68/146 (46.6%) and 15/84 (22.1%) subjects in the active or sham rTMS groups were classified as responders, respectively. Also, in meta-analysis by Fitzgerald et al (2016) which studied the rate of clinical response and remission, and the demographic and clinical predictors of response to rTMS from 11 clinical trials, remission rate was 31%, and the rate of clinical response was 46%. The results from our study showed that in a group of patients treated with rTMS in combination with medication 21/41 (51.2%) were responders (a decrease in HAM-D scores of at least 50%) and 21/41 (51.2%) remitters (scores in HAM-D of 7 or less).…”

Is Maintenance Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Patients With Depression a Valid Therapeutic Strategy?

“…Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is now an established treatment for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who have failed to respond to one or more medication trials supported by multiple trials and meta‐analysis . Response rates seen in groups of patients with treatment‐resistant symptoms have been reported between 30% and 50%, although remission rates are lower than this . However, like all antidepressant strategies, it is recognized that patients may relapse in the 6–12 months following rTMS treatment .…”

“…1 Response rates seen in groups of patients with treatment-resistant symptoms have been reported between 30% and 50%, although remission rates are lower than this. 2 However, like all antidepressant strategies, it is recognized that patients may relapse in the 6-12 months following rTMS treatment. 3 For this reason, there has been growing interest in the potential use of rTMS as a maintenance therapeutic strategy.…”