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Objective:
Major depressive disorder (MDD) stands as one of the most prevalent and incapacitating health conditions globally, and regrettably, numerous patients do not exhibit positive responses to first-generation antidepressant medication or talk therapy approaches. Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (Deep TMS) has emerged as an effective intervention for cases deemed “treatment-resistant”; however, the precise mechanisms through which Deep TMS alleviates depressive symptoms remain unclear.
Methods:
In this current study, resting-state quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) measures were examined before and after treatment to elucidate the neurophysiological changes induced by Deep TMS.
Results:
The findings revealed a decrease in slow-frequency brain activity (delta and theta waves) in the prefrontal cortex following 36 treatment sessions. Moreover, baseline QEEG measures demonstrated a 93% accuracy in predicting treatment response.
Conclusions:
These results offer initial evidence suggesting that TMS ameliorates depressive symptoms by reducing slow-wave brain activity in the prefrontal cortex.
The combination of Deep TMS with QEEG should persist as a valuable approach for MDD treatment in clinical practice. Furthermore, future investigations should explore the potential of this approach for addressing other neuropsychiatric conditions.
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