MIRECC / CoE
15: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
Risk Management and Treatment » Pharmacologic and other Somatic Treatments
15: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
There is insufficient evidence to recommend for or against repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to reduce the risk of suicide or suicide attempts.
Strength:
Neither for or against
Category:
ReviewedNew-added
Grades and Definitions
- Strong for
- or "We recommend offering this option …"
- Weak for
- or "We suggest offering this option …"
- No recommendation
- or "There is insufficient evidence …"
- Weak against
- or "We suggest not offering this option …"
- Strong against
- or "We recommend against offering this option …"
Categories and Definitions |
||
---|---|---|
Evidence Reviewed* | Recommendation Category* | Definition* |
Reviewed | New-added | New recommendation following review of the evidence |
New-replaced | Recommendation from previous CPG that has been carried over to the updated CPG that has been changed following review of the evidence | |
Not changed | Recommendation from previous CPG that has been carried forward to the updated CPG where the evidence has been reviewed but the recommendation is not changed | |
Amended | Recommendation from the previous CPG that has been carried forward to the updated CPG where the evidence has been reviewed and a minor amendment has been made | |
Deleted | Recommendation from the previous CPG that has been removed based on review of the evidence | |
Not reviewed | Not changed | Recommendation from previous CPG that has been carried forward to the updated CPG, but for which the evidence has not been reviewed |
Amended | Recommendation from the previous CPG that has been carried forward to the updated CPG where the evidence has not been reviewed and a minor amendment has been made | |
Deleted | Recommendation from the previous CPG that has been removed because it was deemed out of scope for the updated CPG | |
*Adapted from the NICE guideline manual (2012): The guidelines manual. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence;2012. and Martinez Garcia L, McFarlane E, Barnes S, Sanabria AJ, Alonso-Coello P, Alderson P. Updated recommendations: An assessment of NICE clinical guidelines. Implement Sci. 2014;9:72. |
Recommendation Resources
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to improve symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD). During a rTMS session, an electromagnetic coil is placed against the scalp of the patient’s head. The coil delivers magnetic pulses that stimulate nerve cells in the region of the brain involved in mood. While rTMS is effective in improving symptoms for patients with MDD who had partial or no response to two or more medication treatment trials, there is much less evidence assessing the impact of rTMS on suicide attempts or suicide deaths.
Training and Clinical Resources
This section includes recommended trainings and/or clinical resources about repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.
- VA rTMS Resources
- Somatic Treatment Community of Practice SharePoint (requires access to VA networks)
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) SharePoint (requires access to VA networks)
Videos
This section includes recommended videos about repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Return to Resource OptionsWebinars
This section includes recommended webinars about repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Return to Resource OptionsArticles
This section includes recommended articles about repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.
- 2022). Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy (SNT): A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial. The American journal of psychiatry, 179(2). 132–141. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.20101429 (
- 2020). Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression. The American journal of psychiatry, 177(8). 716–726. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.19070720 (
- 2022). Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Promotes Rapid Psychiatric Stabilization in Acutely Suicidal Military Service Members. The journal of ECT, 38(2). 103–109. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCT.0000000000000810 (
- 2022). The Management of Major Depressive Disorder: Synopsis of the 2022 U. . Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guideline. Annals of internal medicine, 175(10). 1440–1451. https://doi.org/10.7326/M22-1603 (