title: Is transcranial magnetic stimulation effective in treatment-resistant combat related posttraumatic stress disorder?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with co-occurring major depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined data on 20 male combat related PTSD patients admitted to the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Clinic of Gülhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey between January 2011 and December 2012 that received rTMS in addition to medical therapy. We obtained the data by examining the case files and hospital computer records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Decreases in the Impact of Event Scale (IES) hyperarousal scores were statistically significant. However, there were no statistically significant differences between the total IES scores, IES intrusion scores, IES avoidance scores, Beck Depression Inventory, and Beck Anxiety Inventory scores before and after rTMS treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The efficacy of rTMS on the hyperarousal symptoms indicated that rTMS could be used in the treatment of patients with treatment-resistant PTSD. The role of rTMS in the clinical management of PTSD should be identified in further comprehensive studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Etlik 06018, Ankara, Turkey. Tel. +90 (312) 3044501. Fax. +90 (312) 3044507. E-mail: drtaneroznur@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Taner
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oznur
authors.forename: Süleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akarsu
authors.forename: Cemil
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bolu
authors.forename: Barbaros
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Bulent D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Akcay
authors.forename: Süleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozselek
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
authors.forename: Kamil N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Ozmenler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000628:therapy*; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*