TY - JOUR PY - 2016// TI - Accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation for suicide risk in therapy-resistant depressed patients: a randomized, sham-controlled trial JO - Frontiers in human neuroscience A1 - Desmyter, Stefanie A1 - Duprat, Romain A1 - Baeken, Chris A1 - Van Autreve, Sara A1 - Audenaert, Kurt A1 - van Heeringen, Cornelis Kees SP - e480 EP - e480 VL - 10 IS - N2 - OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine the effects and safety of accelerated intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS) on suicide risk in a group of treatment-resistant unipolar depressed patients, using an extensive suicide assessment scale.

METHODS: In 50 therapy-resistant, antidepressant-free depressed patients, an intensive protocol of accelerated iTBS was applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in a randomized, sham-controlled crossover design. Patients received 20 iTBS sessions over 4 days. Suicide risk was assessed using the Beck Scale of Suicide ideation (BSI).

RESULTS: The iTBS protocol was safe and well tolerated. We observed a significant decrease of the BSI score over time, unrelated to active or sham stimulation and unrelated to depression-response. No worsening of suicidal ideation was observed. The effects of accelerated iTBS on mood and depression severity are reported in Duprat et al. (2016). The decrease in suicide risk lasted up to 1 month after baseline, even in depression non-responders.

CONCLUSIONS: This accelerated iTBS protocol was safe. The observed significant decrease in suicide risk was unrelated to active or sham stimulation and unrelated to depression response. Further sham-controlled research in suicidal depressed patients is necessary. (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01832805).

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1662-5161 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00480 ID - ref1 ER -