A sham controlled study of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for posttraumatic stress disorder

BackgroundPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a commonly occurring and often debilitating psychiatric condition. There currently is not definitive information regarding the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for PTSD.ObjectiveThis study seeks to examine the efficacy of rTMS for PTSD.MethodsTwenty subjects with PTSD were randomly assigned to receive either 10 rTMS sessions delivered at 1 Hz to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPRC) or 10 sham rTMS sessions to the same area. A blinded rater assessed PTSD, depressive, anxiety, and neurocognitive symptoms before treatment, after the treatment series, and during a 2-month follow-up period.ResultsTrancranial magnetic stimulation delivered at 1 Hz to the right DLPRC resulted in statistically and clinically significant improvements in core PTSD symptoms and depressive symptoms compared with sham treatments. The effectiveness showed some degradation during the 2 months after treatments were stopped.ConclusionsThis blinded sham controlled trial supports the efficacy of 10 sessions of right DLPRC rTMS delivered at 1 Hz for the treatment of PTSD symptoms.