The impact of one session of HF-rTMS on salivary cortisol in healthy female subjects.
Previous studies in healthy volunteers reported a possible impact of high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) on stress hormones, like cortisol. In this sham-controlled, "single blind", crossover study, we examined whether HF-rTMS had an effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, by analysing salivary cortisol levels. Two studies were conducted. First, HF-rTMS on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was performed in 28 young healthy female volunteers. Second, in a comparable, but different group of 26 healthy females, HF-rTMS was performed on the right DLPFC. Salivary cortisol levels were assessed before, immediately after and 30 min after real and sham HF-rTMS. We found no support for the hypothesis that one single session of HF-rTMS on the left or the right DLPFC has an immediate or delayed impact on the HPA-axis, as measured by salivary cortisol. Although we controlled for several methodological problems in HF-rTMS research, the hypothesis that one single session of HF-rTMS on the left or on the right DLPFC can influence the HPA-axis in healthy volunteers was not supported.
Baeken
Chris
C
Department of Psychiatry, Academic Hospital, Free University of Brussels, UZBrussel, Belgium. chris.baeken@uzbrussel.be
De Raedt
Rudi
R
Leyman
Lemke
L
Schiettecatte
Johan
J
Poppe
Kris
K
Kaufman
Leon
L
Haes
Margot
M
Vanderhasselt
Marie-Anne
MA
Anckaert
Ellen
E
D'Haenen
Hugo
H
D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000502:physiology; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000502:physiology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult
D006854:Hydrocortisone