Neuronetics (United States)

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a novel treatment for patients with major depressive disorder. Although clearly safer and better tolerated than many other pharmacotherapeutic options or electroconvulsive therapy, questions have persisted about the magnitude of the efficacy of TMS in patients with pharmacoresistant depression, and the clinical significance of these outcomes. Previous studies have explored whether specific patient characteristics are associated with a greater likelihood of clinical benefit. In the largest such analysis conducted to date, the authors confirmed previous observations that the lower the number of prior failed antidepressant treatments, the better the clinical outcome of treatment with TMS. This relationship between prior treatment resistance and subsequent treatment outcome is consistent with previous evidence from antidepressant studies. The authors examined the clinical significance of the treatment effects seen with TMS in pharmacoresistant major depression in their recently completed studies by comparing these outcomes with the results reported in several large, comprehensive published reference datasets of antidepressant medications studied in both treatment-responsive and treatment-resistant patient populations. The efficacy of TMS demonstrated in randomized controlled trials was comparable to that of pharmaceutical antidepressants studied in similarly designed registration trials and to the adjunctive use of atypical antipsychotic medications in controlled trials of antidepressant non-responders. These data may be helpful in treatment-planning decisions when using TMS in clinical practice. Psychopharmacology Bulletin. 2009;42(2):5–38.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) continues to be an effective treatment option for patients who fail to respond to pharmacological interventions, are unable to tolerate medications, and show a suboptimal response to behavioral and psychotherapeutic treatments. However, risks for cognitive impairment may contribute to some patients' refusal of ECT. The present study examined galantamine as a pharmacological intervention to reduce cognitive adverse effects from ECT. Thirty-nine inpatients diagnosed with major depressive disorder; bipolar disorder, depressed type; or schizoaffective disorder, depressed type and admitted for ECT were randomized to galantamine or placebo. Study drugs were initiated 24 to 48 hours before starting ECT and continued throughout the course of ECT. A neuropsychological test battery was administered at baseline and 24 to 48 hours after completing a course of ECT treatments. Depression severity was monitored using the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and Clinical Global Impression Scale at baseline, weekly, and end point. Self-rated adverse effects were monitored weekly. Thirty participants (12 patients in the galantamine group, 18 patients in the placebo group) had both pretreatment and posttreatment neuropsychological ratings. Those in the galantamine group scored significantly higher at discharge for delayed memory (t28 = 2.44, P < 0.05). Hierarchical regressions examined if treatment condition predicted changes in delayed memory scores from baseline to discharge. Inclusion of the treatment condition in the final model made a significant incremental improvement in prediction (ΔR = 0.12, F1,27 change = 4.65, P < 0.05; β = 0.37, t = 2.16, P < 0.05). Galantamine was well tolerated with no clinically significant bradycardia or prolonged paralysis when administered with ECT. Galantamine may be protective against impairment in retention of new learning. Galantamine exhibited minimal adverse effects and was safe when administered during ECT. The present findings require replication by future researchers using larger samples before broad conclusions can be drawn.

Few studies have examined the effectiveness of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in real-world clinical practice settings. Forty-two US-based clinical TMS practice sites treated 307 outpatients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and persistent symptoms despite antidepressant pharmacotherapy. Treatment was based on the labeled procedures of the approved TMS device. Assessments were performed at baseline, week 2, at the point of maximal acute benefit, and at week 6 when the acute course extended beyond 6 weeks. The primary outcome was change in the Clinician Global Impressions-Severity of Illness from baseline to end of acute phase. Secondary outcomes were change in continuous and categorical outcomes on self-report depression scales (9-Item Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9], and Inventory of Depressive Symptoms-Self Report [IDS-SR]). Patients had a mean ± SD age of 48.6 ± 14.2 years and 66.8% were female. Patients received an average of 2.5 (± 2.4) antidepressant treatments of adequate dose and duration without satisfactory improvement in this episode. There was a significant change in CGI-S from baseline to end of treatment (-1.9 ± 1.4, P < .0001). Clinician-assessed response rate (CGI-S) was 58.0% and remission rate was 37.1%. Patient-reported response rate ranged from 56.4 to 41.5% and remission rate ranged from 28.7 to 26.5%, (PHQ-9 and IDS-SR, respectively). Outcomes demonstrated response and adherence rates similar to research populations. These data indicate that TMS is an effective treatment for those unable to benefit from initial antidepressant medication.

The Neuronetics NeuroStar Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) System is a class II medical device that produces brief duration, pulsed magnetic fields. These rapidly alternating fields induce electrical currents within localized, targeted regions of the cortex which are associated with various physiological and functional brain changes. In 2007, O'Reardon et al., utilizing the NeuroStar device, published the results of an industry-sponsored, multisite, randomized, sham-stimulation controlled clinical trial in which 301 patients with major depression, who had previously failed to respond to at least one adequate antidepressant treatment trial, underwent either active or sham TMS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The patients, who were medication-free at the time of the study, received TMS five times per week over 4-6 weeks. The results demonstrated that a sub-population of patients (those who were relatively less resistant to medication, having failed not more than two good pharmacologic trials) showed a statistically significant improvement on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Scale (MADRS), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), and various other outcome measures. In October 2008, supported by these and other similar results, Neuronetics obtained the first and only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the clinical treatment of a specific form of medication-refractory depression using a TMS Therapy device (FDA approval K061053). In this paper, we will explore the specified FDA approved NeuroStar depression treatment protocol (to be administered only under prescription and by a licensed medical profession in either an in- or outpatient setting).