title: A 3-month, follow-up, randomized, placebo-controlled study of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is evidence for an antidepressant effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), but little is known about posttreatment course. Therefore, we conducted a placebo-controlled, double-blind study in depressed patients in order to investigate the effect of rTMS on depression over 12 weeks after completion of the 2-week stimulation period.
  
  
  METHODS
  55 patients with a moderate or severe DSM-IV major depressive episode were randomly assigned to rTMS or sham treatment. rTMS was given daily for 10 days over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with the following treatment parameters: 20 Hz, 20 trains of 2 seconds, 30 seconds between trains, and 80% motor threshold. The effect of rTMS on depression was rated repeatedly with the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) during the 2-week period of stimulation and the 12-week follow-up period conducted from 1997 to 2001.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a modest, clinically nonrelevant decrease in HAM-D scores in both rTMS and sham patients over 2 weeks of treatment. However, over the subsequent 12-week follow-up, the rTMS group continued to improve significantly compared with the placebo group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decrease of depressive symptoms may continue after the cessation of rTMS stimulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, St. Lucas Andreas Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. f.koerselman@slaz.nl
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Koerselman
authors.forename: D Martin
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Laman
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van Duijn
authors.forename: Marijtje A J
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: van Duijn
authors.forename: Martin A M
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Willems
mesh_terms: D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D010919:Placebos; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs