title: Can neurophysiologic measures serve as biomarkers for the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment of major depressive disorder?
abstract: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an effective treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). There are clinical data that support the efficacy of many different approaches to rTMS treatment, and it remains unclear what combination of stimulation parameters is optimal to relieve depressive symptoms. Because of the costs and complexity of studies that would be necessary to explore and compare the large number of combinations of rTMS treatment parameters, it would be useful to establish reliable surrogate biomarkers of treatment efficacy that could be used to compare different approaches to treatment. This study reviews the evidence that neurophysiologic measures of cortical excitability could be used as biomarkers for screening different rTMS treatment paradigms. It examines evidence that: (1) changes in excitability are related to the mechanism of action of rTMS; (2) rTMS has consistent effects on measures of excitability that could constitute reliable biomarkers; and (3) changes in excitability are related to the outcomes of rTMS treatment of MDD. An increasing body of evidence indicates that these neurophysiologic measures have the potential to serve as reliable biomarkers for screening different approaches to rTMS treatment of MDD.
authors.affiliation: a David Geffen School of Medicine , University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.|b Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine , University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.|c Neuromodulation Division , Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: a David Geffen School of Medicine , University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.|b Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine , University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.|c Neuromodulation Division , Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.|d Department of Bioengineering , University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.
authors.forename: Ian A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.affiliation: a David Geffen School of Medicine , University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.|b Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine , University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.|c Neuromodulation Division , Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.
authors.forename: Aimee M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.affiliation: a David Geffen School of Medicine , University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.|b Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine , University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.|c Neuromodulation Division , Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Minzenberg
authors.affiliation: a David Geffen School of Medicine , University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.|b Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine , University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.|c Neuromodulation Division , Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Krantz
authors.affiliation: a David Geffen School of Medicine , University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.|b Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine , University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.|c Neuromodulation Division , Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.
authors.forename: Andrew F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Leuchter
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation; biomarkers; clinical neurophysiology; major depressive disorder; neuronal excitability; quantitative electroencephalography; treatment efficacy