New study maps brain changes during depression treatment

For the first time, researchers have shown what happens to the brain when a person receives a treatment for depression called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTM.

rTMS is a depression treatment that is often used when other methods, such as drugs, have not worked for the patie.

During rTMS, a device containing an electromagnetic coil is placed on the patient's sca.

Although proven to be effective, the mechanism of how rTMS affects the brain is not well understo.

"When we started this study, we asked a simple question: We wanted to know what happened to the brain when rTMS was treated," said .

To answer this question, .

The team found that by stimulating the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, several other areas of the brain were also activat.

The participants then received rTMS for an additional 4 weeks, and the team assessed whether these activated regions were associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms in the patients after the treatment end.

"We found that brain regions activated during simultaneous rTMS-fMRI were significantly associated with good outcomes," said .

With a new map of how rTMS stimulates different areas of the brain, .

"By demonstrating this principle and identifying the brain regions activated by rTMS, we can now try to understand whether this pattern can be used as a biomarker," he sa.

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Original title:

Predictive value of acute neuroplastic response to rTMS in treatment outcome in depression: A concurrent TMS-fMRI trial