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Updated: Oct 15, 2025
08:20
MRI-guided dmPFC-rTMS as a Treatment for Treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder
Published on: August 11, 2015
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Two rTMS sessions per week: a practical approach for treating major depressive disorder.
Gabriela Armas-Castañeda1, Josefina Ricardo-Garcell2, Julian V Reyes3
1Departamento de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).
Neuroreport
|October 31, 2021
Summary
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is effective for depression treatment. A reduced schedule of two rTMS sessions weekly demonstrated significant antidepressant response, comparable to five sessions weekly.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Depression is a leading global cause of disability.
- Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a recognized treatment for depression.
- Optimizing rTMS treatment schedules is crucial for patient accessibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a reduced weekly session schedule for rTMS in treating major depressive disorder (MDD).
- To compare the effectiveness of two versus five rTMS sessions per week.
Main Methods:
- A double-blind, randomized clinical trial involving 91 adult university students diagnosed with MDD.
- Participants received 15 sessions of either active or sham rTMS, with groups assigned to two or five sessions per week.
- A 3-month follow-up assessed the maintenance of treatment effects.
Main Results:
- Active rTMS groups showed significantly higher antidepressant response rates (96% for five sessions/week, 95.5% for two sessions/week) compared to sham groups (27.3% and 4.5%, respectively).
- Improvements in depression scores (HAMD) were sustained at the 3-month follow-up for both active rTMS groups.
Conclusions:
- rTMS administered twice weekly is an effective treatment for depression.
- A less frequent rTMS schedule offers a practical and effective option for managing depression symptoms.
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