Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026
MRI-guided dmPFC-rTMS as a Treatment for Treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder
Published on: August 11, 2015
No change in neuropsychological functioning after receiving repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment
Chandra Wajdik1, Keith H Claypoole, Walid Fawaz
1From the *Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA; †Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI; ‡ Department of Neuropsychiatry Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt; Departments of §Psychiatry, ∥Surgery, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH; ¶Center for Anxiety and Depression, Mercer Island; and #Department of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA.
Abstract:
Early studies of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have shown no adverse effects on neuropsychological function. However, further research using higher TMS intensities as well as a greater number of TMS pulses and with larger sample sizes is needed. We studied 68 patients with major depressive disorder who were randomized to receive either 15 sessions of sham or real TMS at 110% of the estimated prefrontal cortex threshold to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Each session consisted of 32 5-second trains of 10-Hz repetitive TMS at 110% adjusted motor threshold. A total of 24,000 pulses were given. Neuropsychological function was assessed before and immediately after TMS treatment with a battery of 8 tests. Using a higher TMS intensity as well as a greater number of pulses and having a larger sample size compared with most previous studies, this study found no negative neuropsychological effects of TMS. Changes in neuropsychological function were unrelated to changes in depression.
