Effect of high frequency versus theta‐burst repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on suicidality in patients with treatment‐resistant depression

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effect of 10 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) on suicidality in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Methods:We used data from a three-site randomized clinical trial comparing 10 Hz rTMS and iTBS applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in patients with TRD. We compared the effect of 10Hz rTMS and iTBS on suicidality as measured by the suicide item of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 17-item (HDRS-17).Results: Suicidality remitted in 71 (43.7%) participants randomized to 10Hz stimulation and 91 (49.1%) participants randomized to iTBS, without a significant difference between the proportions in the two groups (Χ 2 = 0.674, df = 1, p = 0.4117). There was a significant correlation between change in suicidality and change in depression severity for both modalities (10 Hz, Pearson's r = 0.564; iTBS, Pearson's r = 0.502), with a significantly larger decrease in depression severity for those in whom suicidality remitted compared to those in whom it did not (t = 10.912, df = 276.8, p < 0.001).Conclusions: Both 10 Hz and iTBS rTMS were effective in reducing suicidality in TRD. Future trials of iTBS for depression should include discrete measures of suicidality.

Comparing pharmacotherapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of anxiety and depression after aortic dissection surgery

“…Following the implementation of repetitive TMS, the cognitive function score of study group was higher than control, indicating that the combined therapy improved cognitive function, possibly because TMS can excite or inhibit the cerebral cortex function through the application of different frequencies, thus exerting a two-way regulatory function in the brain. The use of repetitive TMS has also been shown to significantly improve cognitive function through intensive treatment of different regions of the brain, in a manner dependent on treatment intensity, frequency, and coil direction[ 20 ]. Our study had some limitations.…”

Current Status of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Treating Depression: A Visualization and Bibliometric Analysis (Preprint)

“…The most prolific author is Daskalakis, Zafiris J from the University of Toronto, Canada, with an average of 11.8 publications per year. His main research interests are clinical trial studies of various forms of TMS and different treatment sites and frequencies for depression[20][21][22][23][24]. Through the author co-occurrence visualization mapping we found that most of the authors have some collaborative relationships with each other, interlocking to form a network of relationships.…”