Cerebral blood flow in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex correlates with treatment response to low-frequency right prefrontal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in the treatment of depression

Neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, are common in children and adolescents, but treatment strategies remain limited. Although repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation has been studied for neurodevelopmental disorders, there is no clear consensus on its therapeutic effects. This systematic review examined literature on repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders published up to 2018 using the PubMed database. The search identified 264 articles and 14 articles met eligibility criteria. Twelve of these studies used conventional repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and two studies used theta burst stimulation. No severe adverse effects were reported in these studies. In patients with autism spectrum disorder, low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and intermittent theta burst stimulation applied to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may have therapeutic effects on social functioning and repetitive behaviors. In patients with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation applied to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may target inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. In patients with tic disorders, low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation applied to the bilateral supplementary motor area improved tic symptom severity. This systematic review suggests that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation may be a promising intervention for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders. The results warrant further large randomized controlled trials of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

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Naturalistic Study of the use of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in the Treatment of Depressive Relapse

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1080/j.1440-1614.2006.01881.x ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 40 (9) ◽

pp. 764-768 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Paul B. Fitzgerald ◽

Jessica Benitez ◽

Anthony R. De Castella ◽

Timothy L. Brown ◽

Z. Jeff Daskalakis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽

High Frequency ◽

Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Naturalistic Study ◽

Treatment Of Depression ◽

Long Term Impact ◽

Over Time

Background: The efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of depression has been assessed in a number of acute treatment trials during the last 10 years. Little is known about the long-term impact of the treatment on the disorder and its effectiveness when applied for repeated relapses of depression over time. Method: Nineteen patients who had previously responded to rTMS in clinical trials received treatment with rTMS for a total of 30 episodes of depressive relapse. Results: Approximately 10 months elapsed between treatment episodes. The majority of patients achieved a significant improvement in each treatment course with significant improvements achieved in patients treated with both low-frequency right-sided rTMS and high-frequency left-sided rTMS. Conclusions: The study suggests that rTMS may have value in the treatment of episodes of depressive relapse with little reduction in efficacy over time.

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Cerebral blood flow velocity changes following biphasic and monophasic repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

European Journal of Ultrasound ◽

10.1016/s0929-8266(97)87160-1 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 55

Keyword(s):

Blood Flow ◽

Cerebral Blood Flow ◽

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Flow Velocity ◽

Blood Flow Velocity ◽

Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Cerebral Blood Flow Velocity ◽

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Velocity Changes

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Transcranial magnetic stimulation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex impairs theory of mind learning

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2010.11.008 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 27 (4) ◽

pp. 285-289 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

S. Lev-Ran ◽

S.G. Shamay-Tsoory ◽

A. Zangen ◽

Y. Levkovitz

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Theory Of Mind ◽

Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽

Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Learning Performance ◽

Control Task ◽

Normal Functioning ◽

Lesion Studies

AbstractImaging and lesion studies indicate that the prefrontal cortex plays a prominent role in mediating theory of mind (ToM) functioning. Particularly, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) appears to be involved in mediating ToM functioning. This study utilized slow repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the VMPFC in 13 healthy subjects in order to test whether normal functioning of the VMPFC is necessary for ToM functioning. We found that rTMS to the VMPFC, but not sham-rTMS, significantly disrupted ToM learning. Performance on a control task, not involving affective ToM functioning, was not significantly altered after applying rTMS to the VMPFC or sham-rTMS. In an additional experiment, rTMS to the vertex did not significantly affect ToM learning, confirming specificity of the VMPFC region. These findings indicate that the VMPFC is critical for intact ToM learning and shed further light on the concept and localization of ToM in particular and empathic functioning in general.

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