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Autism
TMS in Clinical Trials as Treatment for Autism
An article briefly describing recent news of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) treatment in clincial trials for autism treatment.
A study of the effect of TMS in the concentration and distractability of 13 individuals with autism spectrum disorder as measured by a brainwave that occurs in response to stimuli (an evoked potential). This paper showed an increase in cortical processing on relevant stimulation and decrease in irrelevant simulation following three weeks of TMS sessions. These results were shown by lower amplitude evoked brainwave potentials for irrelevant stimulation, and increased amplitude and latency (processing) in evoked potential brainwaves that occurred as a result of relevant presentation stimuli.
Could repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation be effective in autism?
This short correspondence calls for the use of TMS in Autism disorder due to the positive results being reported in studies that apply TMS to disorders and subjects that share clinical and medical characteristics with Autism disorder. This paper also calls for its use on children with autism, as autism is a developmental behavioral disorder.
A Preliminary Study on rTMS Treatment in Childhood Autism
A significant study in utilizing TMS to treat childhood autism. Twelve children with autism were given TMS treatment at frequencies specific to each child's EEG. Subjects were undergoing no other treatments for autism for the duration of the study to assure confidence in results. no other autism therapies for the duration of the treatment. Most subjects (>50% in almost all measurements) showed significant clinical improvement in communication ability, intimacy with family members, emotional stability, and quality of sleep. Additionally, a significant improvement in clinical scales was observed in most subjects.
Depression and Bipolar Disorders
A meta analysis of TMS studies on efficacy of TMS treatment versus sham treatment. A total of 9 studies were analyzed. Patients were given either real TMS treatment, or "sham" treatment (where no actual TMS stimulation was given, but patients were led to believe that they were receiving the treatment). This method is to test for the placebo effect. Results showed for a total of 252 patients, a significant positive effect for active treatment versus the placebo treatment.
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the prefrontal cortex in depression
A significant review of TMS treatment method and clinical studies in depression and bipolar disorder. This paper reviews efficacy and efficiency of TMS coil placement in addition to TMS efficacy across depression and bipolar disorder with a wide range of stimulation parameters and group comparisons. Meta-analysis of studies shows that the adopted standard for TMS coil placement in a majority of studies (the left dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex) may need to be refined due to differences in brain morphology per individual, and positive results for varied coil placement over the cortex. More interestingly, this paper shows a positive effect for individuals with depression in a multitude of studies, both versus sham treatment, and with individuals with therapy-resistant depression. The paper shows that studies in TMS used for bipolar disorder needs more investigation, as positive trends are observed, but the number of patients used for existing studies is not yet substantial enough for results. Treatment for depression as a result of other neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's is investigated, and shown to not only assist in alleviating depression, but also some symptoms of the neurological disorder. A final, interesting highlight is an analysis of studies comparing response rate to TMS versus that of ECT (electroconvulsive therapy), showing that TMS groups were similar in response rates to patients receiving ECT.
PTSD and Anxiety
Repetitive TMS combined with exposure therapy for PTSD: A preliminary study
A preliminary study on the effect of TMS treatment in nine post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients; PTSD is a disorder where individuals experience overwhelming anxiety when exposed to stimuli that remind them or is related to a past trauma. The study showed a significant decrease in reaction to PTSD anxiety triggering stimulation in the subjects receiving TMS. There are very few studies on TMS in PTSD, and this paper calls for more exploration of TMS on the disorder.