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A Retrospective Chart Review of PTSD Symptoms in Military Servicemembers Participating in an Individually Guided
Alexander Balbir1, Kayleigh Prowse2, Julie Kim2
1eTMS Florida, Miami, FL, USA.
Introduction:
Military members, particularly those who have been exposed to combat, face heightened risks of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can significantly impair their overall quality of life. Current treatments are suboptimal, and despite published evidence, they do not provide therapy personalized to individual brain network activity.
Materials And Methods:
This is an uncontrolled open-label retrospective chart review of 94 active duty and retired servicemembers who self-reported symptoms related to PTSD. As part of the Operation Synchrony Program, participants received individually guided neuromodulation (α-rTMS) treatment, which was derived using a decision tree algorithm based on each participant's multivariate endogenous rhythms. The full treatment comprised α-rTMS sessions delivered 5 days a week, 30 minutes each, for a total of four weeks. Side effects and clinical assessments were collected including the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ-16), and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), administered at baseline, week-2, and week-4. This chart review protocol was approved under an exemption by WCG (Western IRB and Copernicus Group) IRB Study #1-1763934-1.
Results:
α-rTMS treatment was well-tolerated by participants, with no serious adverse events recorded. Average PCL-5 scores decreased significantly by a total of 48% from baseline (M=35.9) to week-4 (M=18.8) with 31% of the decrease occurring by week-2 (M=24.7). A similar trend was observed for the other scales such that the average scores significantly decreased from baseline to week-4 by 46% for RPQ-16, 52% for PHQ-9, and 13% for BRS.
Conclusion:
Significant improvements in clinical symptoms were observed in this study. These results underscore the potential for α-rTMS treatment to address the gap in current treatment options by providing effective, safe, non-pharmacological treatment to reduce PTSD symptoms in military and civilian populations.
