Post Traumatic Stress and rTMS
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Trauma work
Both high- and low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) are effective in reducing core cluster and associated symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a review by investigators from multiple institutions in Sichuan, China, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.
The 3 main cluster symptoms of PTSD include re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal, and many patients also experience the associated symptoms of depression and anxiety.
The novel technology of rTMS allows the noninvasive modulation of cortical and sub-cortical brain excitability that produces these symptoms via repeated alterations of the coil’s magnetic field. The area of the brain affected is determined by the frequency used.
Approximately one-third of patients diagnosed with PTSD do not respond well to standard interventions, such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), trauma-focused exposure therapy, stress management techniques, individual therapies (supportive therapy, non-directive counseling, psychodynamic therapy and hypnotherapy), group CBT, eye movement desensitization, and reprocessing therapy.
The efficacy of active rTMS for PTSD has been demonstrated, but the effect of different frequencies had not previously been evaluated.
References:
http://www.scielo.br/pdf/trends/v38n1/2237-6089-trends-38-01-00050.pdf