About a third of patients with major depressive disorder do not respond to antidepressants, and the chances of success decrease significantly after two drug trials fail, according to psychiatry professor and physician Eugene Rubin.
27.1% of patients treated with rTMS achieved remission
In this study conducted in the Netherlands, 89 patients who had already failed two antidepressant treatments were divided into two groups: one received repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) sessions associated with psychotherapy, the other tested a new medication in addition to psychotherapy.
After eight weeks, the results were clearly in favor of rTMS: 37.5% of patients showed a notable improvement compared to only 14.6% in the drug group. Even more impressive, compared to only 4.9% in the drug group.
Hope for patients experiencing therapeutic failure
rTMS consists of apply targeted magnetic pulses to the cortex dorsolateral prefrontal, an area involved in emotion regulation. In 25 sessions over eight weeks, this technique made it possible to significantly reduce symptoms of depressionanxiety and anhedonia (loss of pleasure).
Although the results are promising, the researchers emphasize the importance of continuing…
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