A Case Series Study of Weekly or Fortnightly Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) in Major Depressive Disorder.

BACKGROUND

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is frequently chronic and relapsing. The use of maintenance or continuation transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has received clinical and some research support.

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a case series study to report the outcomes of once-weekly (OW) or once-fortnightly (OF) continuation TMS in a real-life setting.

METHODS

We offered OW or OF TMS sessions to patients with MDD in remission or partial remission/relapse.

RESULTS

Ten patients received OW TMS and four received OF TMS, for 8 to 46 weeks. No patients in either group who were in remission or partial remission at baseline experienced a relapse. Improvements in HAMD6 and CGI-S scores were statistically significant or of borderline significance for the total sample and the OW group.

CONCLUSIONS

This naturalistic, open-label observational study indicates that OW TMS is effective as maintenance therapy in MDD, while also offering some support for OF TMS maintenance in preventing relapse.