Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 9, 2025
Individualized rTMS Treatment for Depression using an fMRI-Based Targeting Method
Published on: August 2, 2021
Early differences in lassitude predicts outcomes in Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy for difficult to treat
David Benrimoh1,2, Azeezat Azeez3, Jean-Marie Batail3,4
1Brain Stimulation Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA. david.benrimoh@mcgill.ca.
Abstract:
Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy (SNT), has recently shown rapid efficacy in difficult to treat (DTT) depression. We conducted an exploratory analysis of individual symptom improvements during treatment, correlated with fMRI, to investigate this rapid improvement in 23 DTT participants from an SNT RCT (12 active, 11 sham). Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale item 7 (Lassitude) was the earliest to show improvements between active and sham, as early as treatment day 2. Lassitude score at treatment day 3 was predictive of response at 4 weeks post-treatment and response immediately after treatment. Participants with lower lassitude scores at treatment day 3 had different patterns of sgACC functional connectivity compared to participants with higher scores in both baseline and post-treatment minus baseline analyses. Further work will aim to first replicate these preliminary findings, and then to extend these findings and examine how SNT may affect lassitude and behavioral activation early in treatment.
