Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation and Depressive Symptoms in Major Depressive Disorder

Do 10 once-daily sessions of intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex improve depressive symptoms more than sham iTBS?In this randomized, double-blind, clinical trial of 73 adults with major depressive disorder, iTBS was superior to sham, with significantly greater reductions in clinician-rated depressive symptoms after 5 and 10 sessions; however, between-group differences were not sustained at the 4-week follow-up, as the sham group showed continued improvement.These findings suggest that 10 once-daily iTBS sessions improve depressive symptoms more than sham in the short term, with no sustained advantage after 4 weeks.

Corresponding Author: Marte C. Ørbo, PhD, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Huginbakken 32, Tromsø 9037, Norway (marte.c.orbo@uit.no).

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