Psychostimulant use and clinical outcome of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment of major depressive disorder

A Review of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Combined with Medication and Psychotherapy for Depression

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After participating in this CME activity, the psychiatrist should be better able to:• Compare and contrast therapies used in combination with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for treating MDD.

BACKGROUND

Noninvasive neuromodulation, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), has emerged as a major area for treating major depressive disorder (MDD). This review has two primary aims: (1) to review the current literature on combining TMS and tDCS with other therapies, such as psychotherapy and psychopharmacological interventions, and (2) to discuss the efficacy, feasibility, limitations, and future directions of these combined treatments for MDD.

METHOD

This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We searched three databases: PubMed, PsycInfo, and Cochrane Library. The last search date was December 5, 2023.

RESULTS

The initial search revealed 2,519 records. After screening and full-text review, 58 studies (7 TMS plus psychotherapy, 32 TMS plus medication, 7 tDCS plus psychotherapy, 12 tDCS plus medication) were included.

CONCLUSIONS

The current literature on tDCS and TMS paired with psychotherapy provides initial support for integrating mindfulness interventions with both TMS and tDCS. Adding TMS or tDCS to stable doses of ongoing medications can decrease MDD symptoms; however, benzodiazepines may interfere with TMS and tDCS response, and antipsychotics can interfere with TMS response. Pairing citalopram with TMS and sertraline with tDCS can lead to greater MDD symptom reduction compared to using these medications alone. Future studies need to enroll larger samples, include randomized controlled study designs, create more uniform protocols for combined treatment delivery, and explore mechanisms and predictors of change.

Accelerated Theta Burst Stimulation: Safety, Efficacy, and Future Advancements

Theta burst stimulation (TBS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique that can be used to modulate neural networks underlying psychiatric and neurological disorders. TBS can be delivered intermittently or continuously. The conventional intermittent TBS protocol is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat otherwise treatment-resistant depression, but the 6-week duration limits the applicability of this therapy. Accelerated TBS protocols present an opportunity to deliver higher pulse doses in shorter periods of time, thus resulting in faster and potentially more clinically effective treatment. However, the acceleration of TBS delivery raises questions regarding the relative safety, efficacy, and durability compared with conventional TBS protocols. In this review paper, we present the data from accelerated TBS trials to date that support the safety and effectiveness of accelerated protocols while acknowledging the need for more durability data. We discuss the stimulation parameters that seem to be important for the efficacy of accelerated TBS protocols and possible avenues for further optimization.

Dosing transcranial magnetic stimulation in major depressive disorder: Relations between number of treatment sessions and effectiveness in a large patient registry

BACKGROUND

The number of sessions in an acute TMS course for major depressive disorder (MDD) is greater than in the earlier randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE

To compare clinical outcomes in groups that received differing numbers of TMS sessions.

METHODS

From a registry sample (N = 13,732), data were extracted for 7215 patients treated for MDD with PHQ-9 assessments before and after their TMS course. Groups were defined by number of acute course treatment sessions: 1-19 (N = 658), 20-29 (N = 616), 30-35 (N = 1375), 36 (N = 3591), 37-41 (N = 626), or >41 (N = 349) and compared in clinical outcomes at endpoint and at fixed intervals (after 10, 20, 30, and 36 sessions). The impact of additional treatments beyond 36 sessions was also examined.

RESULTS

Groups that received fewer than 30 sessions had inferior endpoint outcomes than all other groups. PHQ-9 symptom reduction was greatest in the group that ended treatment at 36 sessions. The extended treatment groups (>36 sessions) differed from all other groups by manifesting less antidepressant response early in the course and had a slower but steady rate of improvement over time. Extending treatment beyond 36 sessions was associated with further improvement without evidence of a plateau.

CONCLUSIONS

In real-world practice, there are strong relations between the number of TMS sessions in a course and the magnitude of symptom reduction. Courses with less than 30 sessions are associated with diminished benefit. Patients with longer than standard courses typically show less initial improvement and a more gradual trajectory, but meaningful benefit accrues with treatment beyond 36 sessions.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in the treatment of middle-aged and elderly major depressive disorder: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Studies have reported the use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, most studies focus on antidepressant effect of rTMS, but few on cognitive aspects. The present study aimed to explore the effect of rTMS on BDNF levels and cognitive function in the treatment of middle-aged and elderly MDD.

METHODS

This was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 120 elderly patients with MDD treated in The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University from January 2021 to January 2023 were selected as research subjects. The patients were randomly divided into control group (n = 60, patients received simple oral treatment with escitalopram and sham rTMS) and study group (n = 60, patients received oral treatment with escitalopram combined with rTMS) according to the random number table method. We compared the clinical efficacy, serum BDNF levels, and cognitive function between the 2 groups.

RESULTS

After treatment, the HAMD-17 score in the study group was lower than that in the control group [13.00 (12.00-16.00) vs 17.00 (15.00-19.00), P < .05], and the RBANS score was higher than that in the control group [166.00 (161.25-171.75) vs 133.00 (130.00-136.75), P < .05]. The total effective rate of the research group was 95.0%, which was higher than the 82.0% of the control group (P < .05). The serum BDNF levels [36.00 (33.00-38.00) vs 30.00 (28.00-32.00), P < .05] and MoCA scores [24.00 (22.00-26.75) vs 23.00 (21.00-25.00), P < .05] of the study group were higher than those of the control group. There were no significant adverse reactions during the treatment of both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with oral escitalopram alone, repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation in the treatment of middle-aged and elderly patients with major depressive disorder can further improve the efficacy, and can more effectively improve the BDNF level and cognitive function, with ideal safety.

rTMS in mental health disorders

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an innovative and non-invasive technique used in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders. Repetitive TMS (rTMS) can modulate neuronal activity, neuroplasticity and arousal of the waking and sleeping brain, and, more generally, overall mental health. Numerous studies have examined the predictors of the efficacy of rTMS on clinical outcome variables in various psychiatric disorders. These predictors often encompass the stimulated brain region's location, electroencephalogram (EEG) activity patterns, potential morphological and neurophysiological anomalies, and individual patient's response to treatment. Most commonly, rTMS is used in awake patients with depression, catatonia, and tinnitus. Interestingly, rTMS has also shown promise in inducing slow-wave oscillations in insomnia patients, opening avenues for future research into the potential beneficial effects of these oscillations on reports of non-restorative sleep. Furthermore, neurophysiological measures emerge as potential, disease-specific biomarkers, aiding in predicting treatment response and monitoring post-treatment changes. The study posits the convergence of neurophysiological biomarkers and individually tailored rTMS treatments as a gateway to a new era in psychiatric care. The potential of rTMS to induce slow-wave activity also surfaces as a significant contribution to personalized treatment approaches. Further investigations are called for to validate the imaging and electrophysiological biomarkers associated with rTMS. In conclusion, the potential for rTMS to significantly redefine treatment strategies through personalized approaches could enhance the outcomes in neuropsychiatric disorders.