Journal: CNS Spectrums 23(1): 71-72 (2018)
Authors: E.V Harel, D Shmuel, D Antler, D Katz, E Pushkarski, E Ais, A Schvartz, A Tendler, Y Roth, A Zangen, Y levkovitz
Background:
Repetitive deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (Deep TMS™) is efficacious for treatment resistant major depressive disorder (TRD) with the H1 coil by stimulating the prefrontal cortex, left more than right, at high frequency. Theoretically, the efficacy of Deep TMS could be optimized by simultaneously stimulating the right and left lateral prefrontal cortices (PFC) with different frequencies.
Objective:
This study tested the efficacy of a novel dual-channel Deep TMSstimulator with dual Deep TMS coils, in patients with TRD.
Methods:
Forty-seven outpatients diagnosed with TRD, age 18-65, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-21) score ≥ 25 were recruited to the study. Each patient received 20 open label treatment sessions, five days a week for 4 consecutive weeks. Treatments were administered with the dual-channel stimulator (BrainsWay Multiway Deep TMS device) using two channels: a. 10 Hz over the left PFC. b. 1 Hz over the right PFC. Primary and secondary efficacy outcome measures were the change in HDRS-21 score and response/remission rates at week 5, respectively.
Results:
The HDRS-21 score decreased from an average of 25.94 to 14.69 (P< 0.001). Thirty-six patients completed four weeks of treatment. Of them, seventeen (47%) responded (HDRS-21 score decrease of >50% from their initial score) and eight (22%) remitted (HDRS-21score of <10 at the end of the study).
Conclusions:
This open study shows promising results for multichannel simultaneous Deep TMS treatment of TRD using the BrainsWayMultiway Device. Further randomized controlled studies are necessary to aid the high number of patients with TRD.
