Deep TMS H1 Coil treatment for depression: Results from a large post-marketing data analysis
Major Finding:
TMS works! This 2023 study demonstrates the effectiveness of Deep TMS with the H1 coil in treating major depressive disorder. It shows that improvement typically occurs within 20 sessions. 30 sessions of Deep TMS led to an 81.6% response and a 65.3% remission rate. 20 sessions led to a 73.6% response and a 58.1% remission rate.
Let’s take a closer look:
Deep TMS H1 Coil Treatment for Depression: A Game Changer in Mental Health Treatment
This study is a breakthrough in the field of mental health, demonstrating the effectiveness of a new approach called Deep TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) with the H1 coil in treating major depressive disorder. The main finding is that improvement typically occurs within 20 sessions and that extended treatment can benefit those who initially do not respond.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and burdensome disease. Traditional treatments are limited due to availability, costs, insufficient efficacy, or limited tolerability, making the development of new interventions crucial. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an approach to treating MDD. Deep TMS utilizes specially designed H-Coils to induce neuronal depolarization in deep and wide cortical regions. The H1 Coil is designed to bilaterally modulate larger cortical regions and their neuronal networks in the prefrontal cortex with a higher intensity on the left side.
The Problem: Major Depressive Disorder
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common and challenging disease. Traditional treatments often fall short due to limited availability, high costs, insufficient effectiveness, or side effects from antidepressant medication. This makes the development of new therapies crucial.
The Solution: Deep TMS with the H1 Coil
Deep TMS is a new approach that uses specially designed H-Coils to stimulate deep and wide areas of the brain. The H1 Coil is designed to target larger areas and their networks in the prefrontal cortex, with a higher intensity on the left side.
The Study
The study evaluated Deep TMS for major depression in real-world settings. Data were collected from 1753 patients at 21 sites who received Deep TMS using the H1 coil. The effectiveness of the treatment was measured using both clinician-based scales and self-assessment questionnaires.
This study aggregated data from 1753 patients at 21 sites who received Deep TMS (high frequency or iTBS) using the H1 coil. Outcome measures varied across subjects, including clinician-based scales (HDRS-21) and self-assessment questionnaires (PHQ-9, BDI-II).
The Results
The results were promising. Of participants who completed 30 sessions of Deep TMS, over 80% responded to the treatment, and over 65% achieved remission. Improvement typically occurred within 20 sessions. However, those who initially did not respond or achieve remission benefited from extended treatment.
For participants with data from at least one scale, 30 sessions of Deep TMS led to 81.6% response and 65.3% remission rate. 20 sessions led to a 73.6% response and a 58.1% remission rate. iTBS led to 72.4% response and 69.2% remission. Remission rates were highest when assessed with HDRS (72%). In 84% of responders and 80% of remitters, response, and remission were sustained in the subsequent assessment. A median number of sessions (days) for the onset of sustained response was 16 (21 days), and for sustained remission, 17 (23 days). Higher stimulation intensity was associated with superior clinical outcomes.
The Conclusion
This study shows that Deep TMS with the H1 coil is effective in controlled trials and real-world conditions. It offers hope for those suffering from major depressive disorder, demonstrating that improvement can occur relatively quickly and that even those who initially do not respond can benefit from continued treatment.
This study shows that, beyond its proven efficacy in RCTs, Deep TMS with the H1 coil is effective for treating depression under naturalistic conditions. The onset of improvement is usually within 20 sessions. However, initial non-responders and non-remitters benefit from extended treatment.
Citation:
Tendler, A., Goerigk, S., Zibman, S., Ouaknine, S., Harmelech, T., Pella, G. S., Zangen, A., Harvey, S. A., Grammer, G., Stehberg, J., Adefolarin, O., Muir, O., MacMillank, C., Ghelber, D., Duffym, W., Manian, I., Faruquin, Z., Munasifio, F., Antinp, T., Padberg, F., & Roth, Y. (2023). Deep TMS H1 Coil treatment for depression: Results from a large post-marketing data analysis. Psychiatry Research, 324 (2023) 115179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115179