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Updated: Apr 20, 2026
Combined Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Electroencephalography of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex
Published on: August 17, 2018
Transcranial magnetic stimulation: potential treatment for co-occurring alcohol, traumatic brain injury and
Amy A Herrold1, Sandra L Kletzel2, Brett C Harton3
1Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Research Service PO Box 5000 (M/C 151H), Hines, IL, USA ; The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Center for Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, PO Box 5000 (M/C 151H), Hines, IL, USA ; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 446 East Ontario, #7-200, Chicago, IL, USA.
Abstract:
Alcohol use disorder (AUD), mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) commonly co-occur (AUD + mTBI + PTSD). These conditions have overlapping symptoms which are, in part, reflective of overlapping neuropathology. These conditions become problematic because their co-occurrence can exacerbate symptoms. Therefore, treatments must be developed that are inclusive to all three conditions. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is non-invasive and may be an ideal treatment for co-occurring AUD + mTBI + PTSD. There is accumulating evidence on rTMS as a treatment for people with AUD, mTBI, and PTSD each alone. However, there are no published studies to date on rTMS as a treatment for co-occurring AUD + mTBI + PTSD. This review article advances the knowledge base for rTMS as a treatment for AUD + mTBI + PTSD. This review provides background information about these co-occurring conditions as well as rTMS. The existing literature on rTMS as a treatment for people with AUD, TBI, and PTSD each alone is reviewed. Finally, neurobiological findings in support of a theoretical model are discussed to inform TMS as a treatment for co-occurring AUD + mTBI + PTSD. The peer-reviewed literature was identified by targeted literature searches using PubMed and supplemented by cross-referencing the bibliographies of relevant review articles. The existing evidence on rTMS as a treatment for these conditions in isolation, coupled with the overlapping neuropathology and symptomology of these conditions, suggests that rTMS may be well suited for the treatment of these conditions together.
