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Updated: Jan 14, 2026
Individualized rTMS Treatment for Depression using an fMRI-Based Targeting Method
Published on: August 2, 2021
Effects of Comorbid Anxiety on Treatment Outcomes After Accelerated Theta Burst Stimulation for Late-Life Depression
Jeanette Hui1, Alisson P Trevizol1, Hyewon H Lee1
1Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention (JH, APT, HHL, RZ, CZ, BHM, DMB), Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry (JH, APT, HHL, CZ, BHM, DMB), Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Objectives:
Accelerated theta burst stimulation (TBS) offers a time-efficient alternative to conventional repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and has recently been explored in late-life depression (LLD). Anxiety symptoms frequently occur in depressed older adults and are known to reduce the effectiveness of first-line therapeutic options. The impact of anxiety symptoms on treatment outcomes from accelerated TBS is unknown.
Methods:
Secondary analyses were performed on data from an open-label pilot trial where 78 outpatients with LLD received a 5-day course of accelerated sequential bilateral TBS (NCT05119699).
Results:
Participants with a comorbid anxiety disorder had more severe depressive symptoms before and after treatment and lower remission rates at the 4-week follow-up, but not immediately at treatment end. Baseline anxiety symptoms did not significantly affect rates of remission from suicidal ideation at either follow-up time points.
Conclusions:
Comorbid anxiety symptoms may reduce the effectiveness of accelerated TBS for treating depressive symptoms in older adults.
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