title: Long-term follow-up of adolescents with resistant depression treated with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is a paucity of information about repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a treatment for adolescent depression, and there are no data about its long-term effectiveness and safety in this age group. The aim of this study was to evaluate symptoms of depression and cognitive functioning in young people who had been treated 3 years previously with rTMS for resistant depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight of 9 subjects who had participated in an open-label rTMS study were reassessed using the Child and Adolescent Depression Rating Scale-Revised and the Beck Depression Inventory II. Six of the subjects were also cognitively reassessed using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. The follow-up assessments were compared with the earlier pretreatment, inter-treatment and posttreatment assessments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 3-year follow-up, there was no evidence of deterioration in symptoms of depression or cognitive functioning compared to the last assessment after rTMS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preliminary evidence suggests that rTMS treatment of resistant depression in adolescents is not associated with long-term cognitive deterioration and that posttherapy clinical improvement can be maintained. It seems that some subjects may derive long-term benefit from the rTMS course.
authors.affiliation: Shalvata Mental Health Center, Hod HaSharon, Israel. gaddyma@clalit.org.il
authors.forename: Gad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Shai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aviram
authors.forename: Garry
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: Yechiel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Levkovitz
authors.forename: Yuval
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bloch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult