Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in psychiatry: Principles, practical use, secondary effects and safe usage

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a neuromodulation technique using a magnetic field applied to the cortex with a coil. rTMS is an ambulatory therapy that does not require general anesthesia supervised by a medical officer according to safety rules. Several stimulation patterns...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annales médico psychologiques 2010-06, Vol.168 (5), p.382-386
Main Authors: Galinowski, A, Pretalli, J-B, Haffen, E
Format: Article
Language:eng ; fre
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a neuromodulation technique using a magnetic field applied to the cortex with a coil. rTMS is an ambulatory therapy that does not require general anesthesia supervised by a medical officer according to safety rules. Several stimulation patterns are available, in particular fast or slow frequency in order to induce a stimulating or an inhibitory effect in various psychiatric conditions (mainly depression and schizophrenia). The intensity of stimulation depends on the motor threshold corresponding to the cortical excitability of a given subject. Side effects are rare and usually mild, mostly headaches. The principal risk is induction of epileptic seizures (< 1/1000), unlikely if safety rules are taken into account. Guidelines are proposed to warrant a safe use of rTMS, the optimal parameters of which are still under study.
ISSN:0003-4487
DOI:10.1016/j.amp.2010.04.001