title: No change in neuropsychological functioning after receiving repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment for major depression.
abstract: Early studies of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have shown no adverse effects on neuropsychological function. However, further research using higher TMS intensities as well as a greater number of TMS pulses and with larger sample sizes is needed. We studied 68 patients with major depressive disorder who were randomized to receive either 15 sessions of sham or real TMS at 110% of the estimated prefrontal cortex threshold to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Each session consisted of 32 5-second trains of 10-Hz repetitive TMS at 110% adjusted motor threshold. A total of 24,000 pulses were given. Neuropsychological function was assessed before and immediately after TMS treatment with a battery of 8 tests. Using a higher TMS intensity as well as a greater number of pulses and having a larger sample size compared with most previous studies, this study found no negative neuropsychological effects of TMS. Changes in neuropsychological function were unrelated to changes in depression.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA; †Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI; ‡ Department of Neuropsychiatry Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt; Departments of §Psychiatry, ∥Surgery, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH; ¶Center for Anxiety and Depression, Mercer Island; and #Department of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA.
authors.forename: Chandra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wajdik
authors.forename: Keith H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Claypoole
authors.forename: Walid
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fawaz
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Holtzheimer
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neumaier
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Dunner
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Haynor
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roy-Byrne
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Avery
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D055815:Young Adult