Does shorter rTMS work for Older Adults?
In traditional bilateral (two-sided) rTMS, it takes 47.5 minutes to do the treatment. To address long treatment times, theta burst stimulation (TBS) has been developed. TBS uses patterned bursts of stimulation that may achieve similar effects to standard rTMS in about 4 minutes. The shorter appointment time may increase the number of older adults with TRD who can access this treatment. This study was designed to assess whether this quicker bilateral TBS protocol was as effective as the standard, longer bilateral rTMS in reducing depressive symptoms in older adults with TRD.