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Use of the Temperament and Character Inventory to Predict Response to Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Shan H Siddiqi1, Ravikumar Chockalingam, C Robert Cloninger
1SIDDIQI, CHOCKALINGAM, CLONINGER, LENZE, and CRISTANCHO: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, St Louis, MO.
Journal of Psychiatric Practice
|April 29, 2016
Summary
Higher persistence scores on the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) predict antidepressant response to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). This personality trait may aid in personalizing rTMS treatment for depression.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
Background:
- Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an established antidepressant treatment targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
- Predictors of rTMS response remain largely unknown.
- The Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) assesses personality dimensions, some of which have predicted treatment response in other depression therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the utility of the TCI in predicting antidepressant response to rTMS.
- To explore personality predictors for rTMS treatment efficacy.
Main Methods:
- Nineteen patients with major depressive episodes completed the TCI before rTMS treatment.
- Response was defined as a ≥50% decrease in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (Ham-D) scores.
- TCI dimension scores were compared between responders and nonresponders.
Main Results:
- Eleven of 19 patients responded to rTMS.
- Responders showed significantly higher TCI persistence scores compared to nonresponders (P=0.022).
- Persistence scores correlated with the percentage improvement in Ham-D scores.
Conclusions:
- Higher TCI persistence scores predict antidepressant response to rTMS.
- This finding may relate to rTMS-induced cortical excitability changes.
- TCI personality assessment, particularly persistence, could enhance precision medicine for rTMS in depression.
