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Updated: May 1, 2026
MRI-guided dmPFC-rTMS as a Treatment for Treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder
Published on: August 11, 2015
High- and low-frequency accelerated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for major depressive disorder
Chaeyeon Yang1, Yun Ji Kim1, Jihye Ahn1
1Department of Psychiatry, Sungkyunkwan University College of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Aim:
This study examined the effects of two accelerated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) protocols in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).
Methods:
Twenty-two patients received accelerated high-frequency rTMS (HF-rTMS; 10 Hz, left prefrontal cortex), and 18 received accelerated low-frequency rTMS (LF-rTMS; 1 Hz, right prefrontal cortex). Each participant underwent 10 sessions over 2 consecutive days (5 sessions per day). Depression, anxiety, and sleep quality were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. Clinical outcomes were evaluated at baseline and at 1 day, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after treatment.
Results:
HAM-D scores significantly decreased from baseline after accelerated rTMS and remained improved over 4 weeks. Both HF-rTMS and LF-rTMS produced comparable early reductions in depression severity, with LF-rTMS showing a greater HAM-D reduction at 4 weeks. HAM-A and PSQI scores also improved at 2 and 4 weeks in both groups, with no significant between-group differences.
Conclusions:
Both accelerated HF- and LF-rTMS protocols were associated with improvements in depressive, anxiety and sleep symptoms in patients with MDD, and LF-rTMS may confer more sustained antidepressant effects.
