Symptomatic improvement found in difficult-to-treat patients with depression using TMS

SAN FRANCISCO – Transcranial magnetic stimulation has been found to have a statistically significant reduction in depressive symptomatology and functional capabilities in difficult-to-treat patients with MDD, according to researchers.

"This clearly demonstrates the efficacy of the NeuroStar TMS therapy in the long-term management of patients with treatment-resistant depression," David Brock, MD, medical director of Neuronetics, said in an interview.

David Brock

NeuroStar TMS Therapy System is manufactured and marketed by Neuronetics.

In the study of 307 patients at 42 clinical practices, patients who had a primary diagnosis of unipolar, non-psychotic major depressive disorder (MDD) and who did not improve with antidepressant medications were given the TMS therapy.

At the end of acute treatment (one year), 62% had symptomatic improvement and 41% had complete remission, according to a press release issued here during the 2013 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting.

Patients were then tapered and observed for one year. At 12 months, 68% of patients had symptomatic improvement and 45% had complete remission.

Assessments were done using the Clinical Global Impression Severity Study, the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Inventory for Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report. When compared with baseline, there was a statistically significant reduction in mean for all the scores at the end of the acute treatment, according to the press release.

“The durability of NeuroStar TMS therapy demonstrated by this robust, real-world study is remarkable, as it’s not typical to see long-term benefit in patients who have treatment-resistant forms of depression,” said Philip Janicak, MD, professorof psychiatry, Rush University, and medical director, Rush Psychiatric Clinical Research Center.

“The study reinforces the sustained efficacy NeuroStar TMS therapy in a majority of patients with depression who have not found relief through oral antidepressant medication.”

Disclosure: Janicak has financial relationships with AstraZeneca; Cervel-Neurotec; Janssen- Neuronetics; OrthoMcNeil; Otsuka; Sunovion; and Pfizer; and is an editorial board member of Psychiatric Annals. Brock is an employee of Neuronetics.