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Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has seemed successful for some depressed civilians, but is this also true for depressed veterans? In a collaborative, randomized, double-blind, multicenter study, researchers compared remission rates in 164 veterans who received active or sham left prefrontal rTMS after failing to respond to ≥2 antidepressant trials (defined as treatment-resistant depression).
Remission was defined as a depression-rating scale score about 37% of the mean baseline score. Almost all patients had a comorbid psychiatric disorder (post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], 49%; substance use disorders, 54%); 61% expressed significant suicidality.
Of the overall group, 39% achieved remission at treatment end, with no …