ABSTRACT. Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) commonly takes a relapsing form. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has be suggested as a means of maintaining remission. Brief courses of TMS at about monthly intervals appear to provide health benefits. Objective: To examine whether such brief courses of TMS are better conceptualized as maintaining remission, or as the provision of early relapse treatment. Method: 25 series of treatment (18 different patients) were considered. Pre- and post-treatment 6-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD6) and 7 visual analogue scales (VASs) were collected, along with pre-treatment Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) and post-treatment CGI-Improvement (I). Results: Pre-treatment HAMD6 and CGI-S indicated that many patients were symptomatic and in early relapse. Post-treatment HAMD6 indicated that many patients had achieved remission, and this was supported by the CGI-I. The VAS scores also improved. Conclusions: Short courses of TMS at about monthly intervals have beneficial results and are better conceptualized as early relapse treatment (ERT).

Keywords: major depressive disorder; transcranial magnetic stimulation; early relapse treatment

How to cite: Pridmore, Saxby, Sheila Erger, Marzena Rybak, Erin Kelly, and Fiona Lawson (2017), “Early Relapse Treatment (ERT) or ‘Maintenance’ Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)?,” American Journal of Medical Research 4(1): 111–117.

Received 10 January 2017 • Received in revised form 2 February 2017
Accepted 3 February 2017 • Available online 20 February 2017

doi:10.22381/AJMR4120178

SAXBY PRIDMORE
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
School of Medicine,
University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania
(corresponding author)
SHEILA ERGER
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
TMS Tasmania,
Saint Helen’s Hospital, Hobart, Tasmania
MARZENA RYBAK
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
TMS Tasmania,
Saint Helen’s Hospital, Hobart, Tasmania
ERIN KELLY
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
TMS Tasmania,
Saint Helen’s Hospital, Hobart, Tasmania
FIONA LAWSON
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
TMS Tasmania,
Saint Helen’s Hospital, Hobart, Tasmania

Home | About Us | Events | Our Team | Contributors | Peer Reviewers | Editing Services | Books | Contact | Online Access

© 2009 Addleton Academic Publishers. All Rights Reserved.

 
Joomla templates by Joomlashine