Hostname: page-component-89b8bd64d-rbxfs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-08T16:05:25.511Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for major depression: a multisite, naturalistic, observational study of quality of life outcome measures in clinical practice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 July 2013

Philip G. Janicak*
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Clinical Research Center and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Center, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
David L. Dunner
Affiliation:
Center for Anxiety and Depression, Mercer Island, Washington, USA; University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
Scott T. Aaronson
Affiliation:
Clinical Research Programs and TMS Services, Sheppard-Pratt Health System, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Linda L. Carpenter
Affiliation:
Brown Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University; Butler Hospital Mood Disorders Program, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
Terrence A. Boyadjis
Affiliation:
Private Practice, West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA
David G. Brock
Affiliation:
Medical Operations, Neuronetics, Inc., Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA
Ian A. Cook
Affiliation:
UCLA Depression Research and Clinic Program, UCLA School of Medicine; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
Karl Lanocha
Affiliation:
TMS Center of New England, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA
Hugh B. Solvason
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, California, USA
Dafna Bonneh-Barkay
Affiliation:
Medical Operations, Neuronetics, Inc., Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA
Mark A. Demitrack
Affiliation:
Medical Operations, Neuronetics, Inc., Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA
*
*Address correspondence to: Philip G. Janicak, MD, Rush University Medical Center, Psychiatric Clinical Research Center, 2150 West Harrison Street, Room 253, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. (Email pjanicak@rush.edu)
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an effective and safe therapy for major depressive disorder (MDD). This study assessed quality of life (QOL) and functional status outcomes for depressed patients after an acute course of TMS.

Methods

Forty-two, U.S.-based, clinical TMS practice sites treated 307 outpatients with a primary diagnosis of MDD and persistent symptoms despite prior adequate antidepressant pharmacotherapy. Treatment parameters were based on individual clinical considerations and followed the labeled procedures for use of the approved TMS device. Patient self-reported QOL outcomes included change in the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the EuroQol 5-Dimensions (EQ-5D) ratings from baseline to end of the acute treatment phase.

Results

Statistically significant improvement in functional status on a broad range of mental health and physical health domains was observed on the SF-36 following acute TMS treatment. Similarly, statistically significant improvement in patient-reported QOL was observed on all domains of the EQ-5D and on the General Health Perception and Health Index scores. Improvement on these measures was observed across the entire range of baseline depression symptom severity.

Conclusion

These data confirm that TMS is effective in the acute treatment of MDD in routine clinical practice settings. This symptom benefit is accompanied by statistically and clinically meaningful improvements in patient-reported QOL and functional status outcomes.

Information

Type
Original Research
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - SA
The online version of this article is published within an Open Access environment subject to the conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercialShareAlike licence, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013
Figure 0

Figure 1 SF-36 Mental Component and Physical Component Scores, EQ-5D Health Index Score: outcome stratified by baseline patient-reported depression symptom severity. Notes: All data were computed using an observed case analysis. Mild Depression = PHQ-9 total score < 10; Moderate Depression = PHQ-9 total score 11 to 15; Moderately Severe Depression = PHQ-9 total score 16 to 20; Severe Depression = PHQ-9 total score > 20. Within-group comparison of change from baseline to end of treatment performed using Student's T-Test: * = P < 0.01, ** = P < 0.001, *** = P < 0.0001. Overall analysis of variance model showed no statistically significant differences in the change from baseline score between the PHQ-9 Depression Severity categories.

Figure 1

Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of study population (N = 307)

Figure 2

Table 2 SF-36 subscale and component score outcomes during acute TMS treatment (N = 307)

Figure 3

Table 3 Summary of baseline and end of acute treatment EQ-5D scores: Health Profile Summary, VAS General Health Perception score, and Health Index Score (N = 307)

Figure 4

Table 4 Summary of studies examining the change in EQ-5D index score following antidepressant treatment