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Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and its variants, thought to enhance neuroplasticity, are increasingly studied for applications beyond treatment-resistant depression. In a first-ever study of intermittent theta-burst TMS (iTBS) for chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), investigators randomized 50 U.S. veterans to 10 daily blinded treatment sessions with iTBS or sham TBS, followed by 10 unblinded sessions.
Patients were still symptomatic despite stable treatment with medications, psychotherapy, or combination treatment (mean age, 50; 84% men; 84% white). All had comorbid depression (major depressive disorder, 90%; bipolar depression, 10%), and about half had substance use disorders. Exclusions included neurological disorder h…