Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation alters resting-state neurophysiological traits in major depressive disorder.

OBJECTIVE:Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent and debilitating health conditions worldwide; unfortunately, many patients do not respond to traditional antidepressant medication or talk therapy approaches. Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (Deep TMS) has emerged as an effective treatment option for such "treatment-resistant" cases; however, the mechanisms by which Deep TMS attenuates depressive symptoms are still ambiguous. METHODS:In the current study, resting-state quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) measures were assessed pre-and-post treatment to illustrate neurophysiological changes resulting from Deep TMS. RESULTS:The results showed reduced slow-frequency brain activity (delta and theta waves) in the prefrontal cortex following 36 treatments. Additionally, baseline QEEG measures predicted treatment response with 93 % accuracy. CONCLUSIONS:These findings provide preliminary evidence that TMS improves depressive symptoms by mitigating slow-wave brain activity in the prefrontal cortex. SIGNIFICANCE:Deep TMS paired with QEEG should continue to be utilized for treatment of MDD in clinical practice and future studies should explore its potential for other neuropsychiatric conditions.