Resting fMRI-guided TMS evokes subgenual anterior cingulate response in depression.

Background: Depression alleviation following treatment with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) tends to be more effective when TMS is targeted to cortical areas with high (negative) resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) with the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC). However, the relationship between sgACC-cortex rsFC and the TMS-evoked response in the sgACC is still being explored and has not yet been established in depressed patients.

Objectives: In this study, we investigated the relationship between sgACC-cortical (site of stimulation) rsFC and induced evoked responses in the sgACC in healthy controls and depressed patients.

Neuromodulatory transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) changes functional connectivity proportional to the electric-field induced by the TMS pulse.

Objective: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can efficiently and robustly modulate synaptic plasticity, but little is known about how TMS affects functional connectivity (rs-fMRI). Accordingly, this project characterized TMS-induced rsFC changes in depressed patients who received 3 days of left prefrontal intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS).

Methods: rs-fMRI was collected from 16 subjects before and after iTBS.

Cortical-subcortical structural connections support transcranial magnetic stimulation engagement of the amygdala.

The amygdala processes valenced stimuli, influences emotion, and exhibits aberrant activity across anxiety disorders, depression, and PTSD. Interventions modulating amygdala activity hold promise as transdiagnostic psychiatric treatments. In 45 healthy participants, we investigated whether transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) elicits indirect changes in amygdala activity when applied to ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC), a region important for emotion regulation.

Accelerated iTBS changes perfusion patterns in medication resistant depression.

Accelerated intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (aiTBS) is a new non-invasive brain stimulation protocol developed to rapidly treat medication resistant depression (MRD). However, to examine potential neurobiological changes only few sham-controlled studies combining pre/post treatment measures and brain imaging data are available. Consequently, with this Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) brain imaging study, we investigated in 45 antidepressant-free MRD patients whether clinical improvement following aiTBS treatment applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Trial registration: http://clinicaltrials.

Cortical Thickness in the Right Anterior Cingulate Cortex Relates to Clinical Response to Left Prefrontal Accelerated Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation: An Exploratory Study.

Objectives: Accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (aiTBS) is a promising treatment option for depressed patients. However, there is a large interindividual variability in clinical effectiveness and individual biomarkers to guide treatment outcome are needed.

Materials And Methods: Here, the relation between cortical thickness and clinical response (17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) was studied using anatomical MRI data of 50 depressed patients who were included in a randomized, sham-controlled, double-blinded, cross-over aiTBS design (NCT01832805).

Structural brain measures linked to clinical phenotypes in major depression replicate across clinical centres.

Abnormalities in brain structural measures, such as cortical thickness and subcortical volumes, are observed in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who also often show heterogeneous clinical features. This study seeks to identify the multivariate associations between structural phenotypes and specific clinical symptoms, a novel area of investigation. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging measures were obtained using 3 T scanners for 178 unmedicated depressed patients at four academic medical centres.

Resting fMRI-guided TMS results in subcortical and brain network modulation indexed by interleaved TMS/fMRI.

Traditional non-invasive imaging methods describe statistical associations of functional co-activation over time. They cannot easily establish hierarchies in communication as done in non-human animals using invasive methods. Here, we interleaved functional MRI (fMRI) recordings with non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to map causal communication between the frontal cortex and subcortical target structures including the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) and the amygdala.

Combining transcranial magnetic stimulation with functional magnetic resonance imaging for probing and modulating neural circuits relevant to affective disorders.

Combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with functional magnetic resonance imaging offers an unprecedented tool for studying how brain networks interact in vivo and how repetitive trains of TMS modulate those networks among patients diagnosed with affective disorders. TMS compliments neuroimaging by allowing the interrogation of causal control among brain circuits. Together with TMS, neuroimaging can provide valuable insight into the mechanisms underlying treatment effects and downstream circuit communication.

Childhood trauma history is linked to abnormal brain connectivity in major depression.

Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) present with heterogeneous symptom profiles, while neurobiological mechanisms are still largely unknown. Brain network studies consistently report disruptions of resting-state networks (RSNs) in patients with MDD, including hypoconnectivity in the frontoparietal network (FPN), hyperconnectivity in the default mode network (DMN), and increased connection between the DMN and FPN. Using a large, multisite fMRI dataset ( = 189 patients with MDD, = 39 controls), we investigated network connectivity differences within and between RSNs in patients with MDD and healthy controls.

Accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation in major depression induces decreases in modularity: A connectome analysis.

Accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (aiTBS) is a noninvasive neurostimulation technique that shows promise for improving clinical outcome in patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Although it has been suggested that aiTBS may evoke beneficial neuroplasticity effects in neuronal circuits, the effects of aiTBS on brain networks have not been investigated until now. Fifty TRD patients were enrolled in a randomized double-blind sham-controlled crossover trial involving aiTBS, applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Focal application of accelerated iTBS results in global changes in graph measures.

Graph analysis was used to study the effects of accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (aiTBS) on the brain's network topology in medication-resistant depressed patients. Anatomical and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) was recorded at baseline and after sham and verum stimulation. Depression severity was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS).

Left prefrontal neuronavigated electrode localization in tDCS: 10-20 EEG system versus MRI-guided neuronavigation.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) involves positioning two electrodes at specifically targeted locations on the human scalp. In neuropsychiatric research, the anode is often placed over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), while the cathode is positioned over a contralateral cephalic region above the eye, referred-to as the supraorbital region. Although the 10-20 EEG system is frequently used to locate the DLPFC, due to inter-subject brain variability, this method may lack accuracy.

Increased left prefrontal brain perfusion after MRI compatible tDCS attenuates momentary ruminative self-referential thoughts.

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive electrical stimulation technique, assumed to influence cognition and emotional processing.

Objective: However, it is unclear how tDCS influences spontaneous cognitive processes such as momentary self-referential thoughts on the neuronal level.

Methods: Forty healthy female volunteers participated in a single session sham-controlled crossover tDCS study while being in the MRI scanner.

Accelerated iTBS treatment in depressed patients differentially modulates reward system activity based on anhedonia.

Objectives: Accelerated intermittent theta-burst stimulation (aiTBS) anti-depressive working mechanisms are still unclear. Because aiTBS may work through modulating the reward system and the level of anhedonia may influence this modulation, we investigated the effect of aiTBS on reward responsiveness in high and low anhedonic MDD patients.

Methods: In this registered RCT (NCT01832805), 50 MDD patients were randomised to a sham-controlled cross-over aiTBS treatment protocol over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).

Accurate external localization of the left frontal cortex in dogs by using pointer based frameless neuronavigation.

Background: In humans, non-stereotactic frameless neuronavigation systems are used as a topographical tool for non-invasive brain stimulation methods such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). TMS studies in dogs may provide treatment modalities for several neuropsychological disorders in dogs. Nevertheless, an accurate non-invasive localization of a stimulation target has not yet been performed in this species.

Spared internal but impaired external reward prediction error signals in major depressive disorder during reinforcement learning.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) creates debilitating effects on a wide range of cognitive functions, including reinforcement learning (RL). In this study, we sought to assess whether reward processing as such, or alternatively the complex interplay between motivation and reward might potentially account for the abnormal reward-based learning in MDD.

Methods: A total of 35 treatment resistant MDD patients and 44 age matched healthy controls (HCs) performed a standard probabilistic learning task.

Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation Increases Reward Responsiveness in Individuals with Higher Hedonic Capacity.

Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been documented to influence striatal and orbitofrontal dopaminergic activity implicated in reward processing. However, the exact neuropsychological mechanisms of how DLPFC stimulation may affect the reward system and how trait hedonic capacity may interact with the effects remains to be elucidated.

Objective: In this sham-controlled study in healthy individuals, we investigated the effects of a single session of neuronavigated intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) on reward responsiveness, as well as the influence of trait hedonic capacity.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Over the Right Frontal Inferior Cortex Decreases Neural Activity Needed to Achieve Inhibition: A Double-Blind ERP Study in a Male Population.

Inhibitory control refers to the ability to inhibit an action once it has been initiated. Impaired inhibitory control plays a key role in triggering relapse in some pathological states, such as addictions. Therefore, a major challenge of current research is to establish new methods to strengthen inhibitory control in these "high-risk" populations.

Accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation treatment in medication-resistant major depression: A fast road to remission?

Although accelerated repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) paradigms and intermittent Theta-burst Stimulation (iTBS) may have the potency to result in superior clinical outcomes in Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD), accelerated iTBS treatment has not yet been studied. In this registered randomized double-blind sham-controlled crossover study, spread over four successive days, 50 TRD patients received 20 iTBS sessions applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The accelerated iTBS treatment procedure was found to be safe and resulted in immediate statistically significant decreases in depressive symptoms regardless of order/type of stimulation (real/sham).

The application of tDCS in psychiatric disorders: a brain imaging view.

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive, non-convulsive technique for modulating brain function. In contrast to other non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, where costs, clinical applicability, and availability limit their large-scale use in clinical practices, the low-cost, portable, and easy-to-use tDCS devices may overcome these restrictions.

Objective: Despite numerous clinical applications in large numbers of patients suffering from psychiatric disorders, it is not quite clear how tDCS influences the mentally affected human brain.

Self-directedness: an indicator for clinical response to the HF-rTMS treatment in refractory melancholic depression.

Although well-defined predictors of response are still unclear, clinicians refer a variety of depressed patients for a repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) treatment. It has been suggested that personality features such as Harm Avoidance (HA) and self-directedness (SD) might provide some guidance for a classical antidepressant treatment outcome. However, to date no such research has been performed in rTMS treatment paradigms.