Journal: Journal of Affective Disorders (Sep 2023)
Authors: Nathaniel A. Shanok, Santiago Rodriguez, Sabrina Muzac, Carla Huertas Del Pino, Leah Brown, Raul Rodriguez
Major depressive disorder (MDD) stands as one of the most prevalent and incapacitating health conditions globally, and regrettably, numerous patients do not exhibit positive responses to first-generation antidepressant medication or talk therapy approaches. Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (Deep TMS) has emerged as an effective intervention for cases deemed “treatment-resistant”; however, the precise mechanisms through which Deep TMS alleviates depressive symptoms remain unclear.
In this current study, resting-state quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) measures were examined before and after treatment to elucidate the neurophysiological changes induced by Deep TMS.
The findings revealed a decrease in slow-frequency brain activity (delta and theta waves) in the prefrontal cortex following 36 treatment sessions. Moreover, baseline QEEG measures demonstrated a 93% accuracy in predicting treatment response.
These results offer initial evidence suggesting that TMS ameliorates depressive symptoms by reducing slow-wave brain activity in the prefrontal cortex.
The combination of Deep TMS with QEEG should persist as a valuable approach for MDD treatment in clinical practice. Furthermore, future investigations should explore the potential of this approach for addressing other neuropsychiatric conditions.
Full Article:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032723007073
