By 2050, over 1 million Canadians will suffer from depression; many of whom will not respond to traditional antidepressant medication, known to as treatment resistant depression (TRD). The significant social, health, and economic burden of depression reflects, to a large degree, the limited success of current treatment options. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been shown to be an effective treatment for those suffering from TRD. rTMS uses magnetic pulses that act directly on the brain to change activity in regions that control thoughts, emotions, and behavior. A newer form of rTMS, called intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS), delivers the treatment pulses over a much shorter time frame than standard TMS (i.e., just over 3 minutes vs. 37.5 minutes), yet with similar or greater effects on treating symptoms of depression.
The brief nature of iTBS sessions has led researchers to study the effectiveness of applying multiple iTBS sessions per day, as an accelerated treatment approach. This reduces the overall course of treatment from 20-30 days to 5 days. The goal of this study is to measure the benefits and safety of an accelerated iTBS program in patients with TRD. This study has the potential to have a significant impact on the treatment of depression in Canada and internationally. If this approach proves to be an effective treatment for depression, patients will be able to complete the course of treatment and therefore, experience improvements in depression in just 5 days. This would also allow patients to undergo treatment with less disruption of daily life. Additionally, accelerated iTBS has the potential to improve access to patients who live outside of urban centres.
