title: rTMS for pharmacoresistant major depression in the clinical setting of a psychiatric hospital: effectiveness and effects of age.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive method of brain stimulation used in the treatment of drug-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD). It has been suggested that the efficacy of rTMS decreases with the age of the patient, but the data are contradictory. Here, we analyze in our clinical setting the efficacy of a 3-week rTMS treatment in drug-resistant MDD during a 3 month period and the potential influence of age on this efficacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stimulation consisted of 15 sessions of rTMS over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Clinical evaluations included the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) at baseline, after 3 weeks of treatment, and 1 month and 3 months after the last session.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data from 93 patients issued from the 178 patients active file were analyzed. The antidepressant effect observed in the two age groups (<65 and ≥65) did not differ at the end of the treatment and 3 months later, with a comparable number of responders (50% decrease in HDRS score from baseline) (53.3% for age <65 versus 46.7% for age ≥65, p=0.51). The treatment had a significant effect over time. We found no evidence of the age affecting outcome at 3 months after the last session.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Previous antidepressant treatments, and therapeutic drug use modifications after rTMS treatment, degree of pharmaco-resistance or duration of current episode are not reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RTMS of the DFPLC is effective as an add-on treatment for cases of pharmacologically refractory major depression, independent of the patient age.
authors.affiliation: Département Recherche et Développement, Centre Hospitalier Esquirol, 15 rue du Docteur Marcland, 87025 Limoges cedex, France.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ciobanu
authors.forename: Murielle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Girard
authors.forename: Benoît
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.forename: Anaïs
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Labrunie
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malauzat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003863:Depression; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D061218:Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents
keywords: Age; Frequency; Major depression; rTM