Pattern of Compliance and Efficacy of Rtms Protocol for Treating Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) Among Treatment Participants and Completers: A Report from Iran

Introduction: There has been a breakthrough in treating MDD since introduction of FDA approved repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) intervention in 2008. However, the many sessions of treatment and its cost makes it inconvenient for those who seek treatment especially in large cities and also in developing countries. Method: A total of 22 patients (out of initial 24 referrals) who met DSM IV criteria for MDD were enrolled into the study. The subjects all had to fail at least one prior treatment for depression. The patients received the FDA approved protocol of high-frequency (10 Hz) rTMS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Results: Seventeen cases out of twenty-two cases showed significant improvements after two weeks of treatment. Only six patients continued their treatments for the next two to four weeks. Conclusions: We have replicated other studies showing that using rTMS is effective with no major side effects for many patients with MDD and their improvements are measurable mostly after two weeks. Our data highlights the importance of application of more convenient protocols which require fewer sessions on fewer days to help with compliance and outcome particularly in large populated cities and countries like Iran going through economic hardship.