For the first time, researchers understand what happens to the brain when patients with treatment-resistant depression receive repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), they showed that rTMS induces widespread alterations in functional connectivity in brain regions involved in emotion and motor control. ‘How does rTMS work?’ is one of the … Read more
Noninvasive brain stimulation does not appear to augment cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), new research shows. Results of a multicenter, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials showed adjunctive transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was not superior to sham-tDCS plus CBT or CBT alone. “Combining these interventions do not lead to added … Read more
Antidepressant use is not associated with significant improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with depression, new research suggests. Researchers who conducted the study admit this finding was unexpected, and outside experts say no firm conclusions can be drawn from the research. “Of course we were surprised by the results,” first author Omar … Read more