title: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) improves symptoms and reduces clinical illness in patients suffering from OCD--Results from a single-blind, randomized clinical trial with sham cross-over condition.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Both psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological methods are used in the treatment of patients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD), and both with encouraging but also mixed results. Here, we tested the hypothesis that repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) improves symptoms and reduces illness severity in patients suffering from treatment-resistant OCD.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 21 patients (57% females; mean age: M = 35.8 years) suffering from treatment-resistant OCD were randomly assigned either to an rTMS-first-sham-second, or a sham-first-rTMS-second condition. Treatment sessions lasted for 4 weeks with five sessions per week, each of about 50 min duration. Symptoms were assessed via both self- and expert-ratings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both self- and expert-reported symptom severity reduced in the rTMS condition as compared to the sham condition. Full- and partial responses were observed in the rTMS-condition, but not in the sham-condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pattern of results from this single-blind, sham- and cross-over design suggests that rTMS is a successful intervention for patients suffering from treatment-resistant OCD.
authors.affiliation: Research Center For Behavioral Disorders and Substances Abuse, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haghighi
authors.affiliation: Research Center For Behavioral Disorders and Substances Abuse, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shayganfard
authors.affiliation: Research Center For Behavioral Disorders and Substances Abuse, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jahangard
authors.affiliation: Research Center For Behavioral Disorders and Substances Abuse, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmadpanah
authors.affiliation: Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Iranian Institute for Reduction of High-Risk Behaviors, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hafez
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bajoghli
authors.affiliation: Research Center For Behavioral Disorders and Substances Abuse, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Azar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pirdehghan
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Holsboer-Trachsler
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Sport, Exercise and Health Science, Division of Sport Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: Serge.brand@upkbs.ch.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brand
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D010919:Placebos; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos
keywords: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS); Sham-condition