Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 27, 2025
MRI-guided dmPFC-rTMS as a Treatment for Treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder
Published on: August 11, 2015
Use of right orbitofrontal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) augmentation for treatment-refractory
Reza Tadayonnejad1, Andrew C Wilson2, Stephanie Anne Chu2
1TMS Clinical and Research Service, Neuromodulation Division, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, United States; Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States.
Abstract:
We examined the safety and efficacy of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) of the right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in patients with refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and comorbid Major Depressive Disorder. All participants (n = 26) received excitatory stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex followed by inhibitory stimulation of bilateral supplementary motor area for 10 sessions. In 18 patients with poor early OCD response, treatment was augmented with OFC inhibitory stimulation after the tenth treatment session. Augmentation with OFC stimulation was well-tolerated, and associated with further alleviation of both OCD and depression symptoms, particularly in individuals with more severe illnesses.
