Helio.com
Almost 40% of veterans with major depressive disorder who were previously treatment-resistant achieved symptom remission with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, data published in JAMA Psychiatry showed.
“New [treatment-resistant MDD] treatments are needed, preferably without major safety concerns or adverse effects as seen with aggressive polypharmacy or [electroconvulsive therapy],” Jerome A. Yesavage, MD, of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote. “There is the potential for a significant advance in Veterans Affairs mental health care, with associated cost savings, if [repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation] were to be shown as effective in the treatment of [treatment-resistant MDD] in VA patients.”