Number of Sessions & Pulses Required for Optimal Results of rTMS – Dr. Martjin Arns

Posted on: February 20, 2019
Last Updated: September 21, 2020

Dr. Sanil Rege, Consultant Psychiatrist and Founder of Psych Scene and Psych Scene Hub speaks to Dr. Martijn Arns, Chief Scientific Adviser, neuroCare Group; Founding Director & Senior Researcher at Research Institute Brainclinics.

Author Quote

As far as ceiling effects [are concerned], we do systematically assess the response of treatment every 5th session using the BDI, or any other rating scale could do as well, and that’s really helpful in order to inform a patient if they are responding or not, and also to make decisions to stop treatment.

Take-home Messages:

  • Known side effects of rTMS include muscle tension headache and a theoretical risk of seizure
  • Patients with a history of epilepsy are not considered suitable candidates for rTMS treatment
  • 2-3 sessions per week are considered a minimum with repeated administration after one week are required for a neuroplastic effect

Quiz


Learn more

  1. Neurofeedback and The Role of Sleep in Psychiatric Disorders – Dr. Martjin Arns
  2. New Developments in Neuromodulation & Stimulation in Psychiatry – Dr. Martjin Arns
  3. The Potential Side Effects of rTMS – Dr.Martjin Arns
  4. Localising The Exact Point of Maximum Stimulation For rTMS – Dr. Martjin Arns
  5. The Principle Behind Choosing The Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex for rTMS – Dr. Martjin Arns
  6. Key Differences Between High Frequency & Low Frequency rTMS Protocols – Dr. Martjin Arns
  7. Typical Response & Remission Rates of rTMS in Treatment Resistant Cases – Dr. Martijn Arns
  8. Key Differences Between rTMS and Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) – Dr. Martijn Arns
  9. Clinical Indications for Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) – Dr. Martijn Arns
  10. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in Depression – Conversations with Dr Martijn Arns, Neuromodulation Expert
  11. What are the Reasons for the Rise in Interest in Neuromodulation? – Conversations with Dr Martijn Arns, Neuromodulation Expert
  12. How Did You Get Interested in the Field of Neuromodulation? – Conversations with Dr Martijn Arns, Neuromodulation Expert
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