Helmet Karim
@helmetkarim.bsky.social
Assistant professor of Psychiatry and Bioengineering at University of Pittsburgh
•Clinical Implications: These findings support the use of maintenance TMS as an evidence-based approach to reduce relapse risk in depression.
•Future studies: It may be important to understand what maintenance course could be optimal – does once monthly have a similar efficacy?
•Future studies: It may be important to understand what maintenance course could be optimal – does once monthly have a similar efficacy?
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation as Maintenance Treatment of Depression
This randomized clinical trial compares the effectiveness between repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and lithium in preventing relapse of treatment-resistant depression.
jamanetwork.com
June 24, 2025 at 12:04 PM
•Clinical Implications: These findings support the use of maintenance TMS as an evidence-based approach to reduce relapse risk in depression.
•Future studies: It may be important to understand what maintenance course could be optimal – does once monthly have a similar efficacy?
•Future studies: It may be important to understand what maintenance course could be optimal – does once monthly have a similar efficacy?
•Efficacy: Maintenance TMS showed similar efficacy to lithium and similar rates of relapse.
•Safety and Tolerability: TMS showed a better safety profile than lithium.
•Safety and Tolerability: TMS showed a better safety profile than lithium.
June 24, 2025 at 12:04 PM
•Efficacy: Maintenance TMS showed similar efficacy to lithium and similar rates of relapse.
•Safety and Tolerability: TMS showed a better safety profile than lithium.
•Safety and Tolerability: TMS showed a better safety profile than lithium.
•Design: Patients who responded were randomized to receive maintenance once weekly inhibitory right dlPFC TMS (1-Hz) or lithium for 24 weeks.
June 24, 2025 at 12:04 PM
•Design: Patients who responded were randomized to receive maintenance once weekly inhibitory right dlPFC TMS (1-Hz) or lithium for 24 weeks.
They compared maintenance TMS to lithium in patients who responded to sequential inhibitory TMS to right dlPFC (either 1-Hz rTMS or cTBS [continuous theta burst stimulation]) followed by excitatory TMS to left dlPFC (either 10-Hz rTMS or iTBS [intermittent TBS]).
June 24, 2025 at 12:04 PM
They compared maintenance TMS to lithium in patients who responded to sequential inhibitory TMS to right dlPFC (either 1-Hz rTMS or cTBS [continuous theta burst stimulation]) followed by excitatory TMS to left dlPFC (either 10-Hz rTMS or iTBS [intermittent TBS]).
Implications: These findings highlight the potential of LIFU as a non-invasive tool for modulating neural circuits involved in emotion processing, paving the way for future therapeutic applications in mood and anxiety disorders.
Full study: doi.org/10.3389/fnim...
Full study: doi.org/10.3389/fnim...
Frontiers | Low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound of the amygdala modulates neural activation during emotion processing
IntroductionLow-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) is a form of neuromodulation that offers increased depth of penetrance and improved spatial resolution ov...
doi.org
June 23, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Implications: These findings highlight the potential of LIFU as a non-invasive tool for modulating neural circuits involved in emotion processing, paving the way for future therapeutic applications in mood and anxiety disorders.
Full study: doi.org/10.3389/fnim...
Full study: doi.org/10.3389/fnim...
Control Regions: No significant changes were noted in the fusiform gyrus or thalamus, indicating the specificity of the amygdala modulation.
June 23, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Control Regions: No significant changes were noted in the fusiform gyrus or thalamus, indicating the specificity of the amygdala modulation.
Amygdala Activation: Post-LIFU, there was a significant reduction in bilateral amygdala activation when participants viewed fearful faces compared to shapes. This effect was not observed for angry or happy faces.
June 23, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Amygdala Activation: Post-LIFU, there was a significant reduction in bilateral amygdala activation when participants viewed fearful faces compared to shapes. This effect was not observed for angry or happy faces.