Gender differences in the effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in schizophrenia

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can be beneficial in schizophrenia, possibly through a reversal of pre-treatment hypofrontality. Twelve schizophrenic patients (8 men, 4 women) were treated with high-frequency rTMS of the dominant dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Their performance of the number-connection test, which assesses cognitive processes related to the frontal lobe, was evaluated before and after rTMS. Women improved markedly on the test after rTMS, whereas men did not show a significant change. There were no corresponding sex differences in clinical measures after rTMS. The preliminary findings of sex differences in the response to rTMS, as reflected by performance on the number-connection test, suggest the need for investigations of a greater number of schizophrenic men and women with a more intensive examination of the effects of rTMS on cognitive functions.