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MRI-guided dmPFC-rTMS as a Treatment for Treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder
Published on: August 11, 2015
The value of neuronavigated rTMS for the treatment of depression
C Schönfeldt-Lecuona1, J-P Lefaucheur, L Cardenas-Morales
1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University Clinic Ulm, Leimgrubenweg 12, 98075 Ulm, Germany. carlos.schoenfeldt@uni-ulm.de <carlos.schoenfeldt@uni-ulm.de>
Abstract:
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been increasingly evaluated as a therapeutic tool for the treatment of depression, using various stimulation parameters and protocols. Heterogeneous results have been reported with regard to clinical outcome, at least partly due to the variety of procedures for coil placement above the desired site of stimulation. This article reviews the strategies for coil positioning in the treatment of depression. Considering preliminary clinical evidence, neuronavigated rTMS appears desirable to treat depression, compared to the standard targeting procedure (5cm anterior to the motor cortex). Coil positioning strategy might improve in the future by taking into consideration the individual abnormalities revealed by functional neuroimaging data.
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These technologies include computerized axial tomography (CAT or CT scans), positron-emission tomography (PET scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).
