Influence of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on psychomotor symptoms in major depression

Psychomotor symptoms related to an impairment of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system are frequent in major depression (MD). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been discussed as a new treatment option for MD. In neurobiological terms, an influence of high-frequency rTMS on dopa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience 2010-04, Vol.260 (3), p.197-202
Main Authors: Hoeppner, Jacqueline, Padberg, Frank, Domes, Gregor, Zinke, Antonia, Herpertz, Sabine C., Großheinrich, Nicola, Herwig, Uwe
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Depressive Disorder, Major - complications
Depressive Disorder, Major - therapy
Female
Functional Laterality - physiology
Humans
Male
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Middle Aged
Neurosciences
Original Paper
Pilot Projects
Prefrontal Cortex - physiology
Psychiatry
Psychomotor Disorders - etiology
Psychomotor Disorders - therapy
Severity of Illness Index
Statistics, Nonparametric
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation - methods
Young Adult
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Summary:Psychomotor symptoms related to an impairment of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system are frequent in major depression (MD). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been discussed as a new treatment option for MD. In neurobiological terms, an influence of high-frequency rTMS on dopaminergic neurotransmission has previously been shown by several studies in animals and humans. Therefore, an improvement of psychomotor symptoms by rTMS could be assumed. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the effect of high-frequency rTMS on psychomotor retardation and agitation in depressive patients. We investigated the effect of left prefrontal 10 Hz rTMS on psychomotor retardation and agitation in 30 patients with MD. Patients were randomly assigned to real or sham rTMS in addition to a newly initiated standardized antidepressant medication. We found a trend in the reduction of agitation ( t 28  = 1.76, p  = 0.09, two-tailed), but not in the reduction of retardation. Furthermore, no general additional antidepressant effect of rTMS was observed. Although there was no statistical significant influence of high-frequency rTMS on psychomotor symptoms in depressive patients, the results showed a trend in the reduction of psychomotor agitation in MD. This effect should be systematically investigated as the primary end point in further studies with larger sample sizes.
ISSN:0940-1334
1433-8491
DOI:10.1007/s00406-009-0039-8