Living with major depressive disorder can feel like an uphill battle, especially when standard treatments do not seem to work. For these individuals, finding a reliable way to manage symptoms is vital. A large review of clinical trials involving 1,850 adults found that prefrontal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and theta burst stimulation significantly reduced depressive symptoms compared to a sham treatment.
The data showed robust results for both patient response and remission, which means patients were much more likely to see an improvement in their condition. However, the researchers found something interesting about how the treatment is delivered. They did not find that increasing the dose, intensity, or number of pulses led to a direct, linear increase in how well the treatment worked.
While the results for remission and response are considered high-certainty, it is important to note that there was significant variation in how depressive symptoms were measured across different studies. Because individual needs vary, patients should talk to their doctor to see if this specific type of magnetic stimulation is a right fit for their personal treatment plan.
