Prefrontal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation as add on treatment in depression. Issue 4 (1st October 2001)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: García-Toro, M; Pascual-Leone, A; Romera, M; González, A; Micó, J; Ibarra, O; Arnillas, H; Capllonch, I; Mayol, A; Tormos, J M
• Is Part Of: Journal of neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry. Volume 71:Issue 4(2001)
• Page Start: 546
• Page End: 548
• Publication Date: 2001-10-01
• Subjects: major depression -- transcranial magnetic stimulation -- sertraline -- prefrontal area; Neurology -- Periodicals; Nervous system -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1136/jnnp.71.4.546
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-3050

Abstract

Abstract : A growing number of studies report antidepressant effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with major depression. The hypothesis that high frequency (20 Hz) rTMS (HF-rTMS) may speed up and strengthen the therapeutic response to sertraline in MD was tested. Twenty eight patients who had not yet received medication for the present depressive episode (n=12) or had failed a single trial of an antidepressant medication (n=16) were started on sertraline and randomised to receive either real of sham HF-rTMS. HF-rTMS was applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal area in daily sessions (30 trains of 2 s, 20–40 s intertrain interval, at 90% motor threshold) on 10 consecutive working days. The results suggest that in this patient population, HF-rTMS does not add efficacy over the use of standard antidepressant medication.