title: Effectiveness and acceptability of accelerated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder: an open label trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a significant cause of worldwide disability and treatment resistance is common. High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) has emerged as a treatment for MDD, and while efficacious, the daily commitment for typical 4-6 weeks of treatment poses a significant challenge. We aimed to determine the effectiveness and acceptability of an accelerated rTMS protocol for MDD.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this naturalistic trial, 27 patients with moderate to severe chronic and treatment-resistant MDD were treated with twice-daily HF-rTMS (10 Hz) applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 2 consecutive weeks (60,000 pulses). The primary outcomes were rates of clinical remission and response (16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology post-treatment score ≤ 6, and ≥ 50% reduction, respectively). Secondary outcomes were self-reported anxious symptoms, depressive symptoms and quality of life, and dropout rates as a proxy for acceptability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten (37.0%) patients met criteria for clinical remission and 15 (55.6%) were classified as responders, with comparable outcomes for both moderate and severe MDD. Clinician-rated improvements in depressive symptoms were paralleled in self-reported depressive and anxious symptoms, as well as quality of life. No patient discontinued treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is limited by short treatment duration that might be lengthened with corresponding improvements in effectiveness, limited duration of follow-up, small sample size, and an open-label design requiring randomized controlled replication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An accelerated protocol involving twice-daily sessions of HF-rTMS over the left DLPFC for 2 weeks was effective in treatment-resistant MDD, and had excellent acceptability. Additional research is required to optimize accelerated rTMS treatment protocols and determine efficacy using sham-controlled trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Electronic address: Alexander.McGirr@alumni.ubc.ca.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McGirr
authors.affiliation: Neuromodulation Research Clinic, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Frederique
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Van den Eynde
authors.affiliation: Neuromodulation Research Clinic, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tovar-Perdomo
authors.affiliation: Depressive Disorders Program, Douglas Mental Health University Institute and McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Neuromodulation Research Clinic, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Marcelo P A
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Fleck
authors.affiliation: Depressive Disorders Program, Douglas Mental Health University Institute and McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Neuromodulation Research Clinic, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Québec, Canada. Electronic address: nrc.douglas@me.com.
authors.forename: Marcelo T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Berlim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D061218:Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents
keywords: Accelerated rTMS; High-frequency rTMS; Major depressive disorder; Open-label trial; RTMS; Treatment resistant depression