The Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Parameter...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) recovery is a significant clinical challenge.
• Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a potential therapeutic option for PTSD.
• Existing evidence on rTMS for PTSD requires further evaluation due to quality concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy and safety of rTMS in treating PTSD.
• To identify key parameters influencing the therapeutic effectiveness of rTMS.
• To provide evidence-based recommendations for optimizing rTMS treatment protocols.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across five electronic databases up to September 2024.
• Included studies were screened, and data were extracted, with methodological quality assessed.
• Meta-analysis and dose-response analyses were performed using specialized statistical software.

Main Results:

• Fifteen studies with 760 patients were analyzed, showing no significant difference between high-frequency (HF-rTMS) and low-frequency rTMS (LF-rTMS).
• Treatment parameters like motor threshold (>80% MT) and duration (>10 days) did not yield statistically significant differences compared to controls.
• Dose-response analysis revealed a linear relationship between increased treatment sessions and reduced PTSD Checklist (PCL) scores, indicating a dose-dependent improvement.

Conclusions:

• rTMS is a viable noninvasive treatment for PTSD, with no significant differences observed between HF-rTMS and LF-rTMS.
• A greater number of rTMS sessions is positively correlated with symptom improvement in PTSD patients.
• Despite limitations, the findings support prioritizing increased rTMS sessions for enhanced therapeutic outcomes in PTSD treatment.