The Scania Accelerated Intermittent Theta-burst Implementation Study (SATIS)-Lessons from an accelerated treatment...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Depression treatment often involves transcranial magnetic stimulation.
• Accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (aTBS) offers a potentially faster alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the tolerability, effectiveness, and feasibility of an aTBS protocol for depression.
• To evaluate patient-reported outcomes and adverse events.

Main Methods:

• An open-label observational study involving 20 patients with depression.
• Data collection included adverse events, symptom severity (MADRS, CGI), functioning (EQ-5D), and feasibility assessments.
• Treatment involved a five-day aTBS protocol with a 30-day follow-up.

Main Results:

• Most adverse events, primarily headaches, were transient.
• Mean MADRS scores significantly decreased post-treatment.
• 25% of patients achieved response criteria with a rapid mean response time of 2.2 days.

Conclusions:

• aTBS is a potentially effective and faster treatment for depression compared to conventional intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS).
• While effective, aTBS requires more resources and increases clinical workload.
• Further research is needed to optimize aTBS protocols and implementation.