Use of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Launched by NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH (NIMH) · Dec 9, 2002

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

A growing body of data indicates that patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have regionally selective alterations in brain metabolism and processing of information. For example, neuroimaging studies reveal increased blood flow and glucose utilization in right frontal, limbic and paralimibic brain structures in patients with PTSD, particularly when they are recalling the traumatic event associated with their symptoms. These alterations in regional brain activity are thought to be related, in part, to the distressing emotional symptoms associated with traumatic memories. Autonomi...

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• • Subjects (age 18-70) meeting DSM-IV criteria for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
• • Subjects will be individuals with chronic PTSD (i.e., greater than 1 year).
• • No subjects with evidence of uncontrolled significant medical illness on physical exam, laboratory screening or EKG, presence of cardiac pacemakers, medication pumps, cochlear implants, metal objects in the head or eyes, history of a seizure disorder, left handedness, or pregnancy.
• • No subjects with unstable dissociative symptoms, current self-injurious behavior, current eating disorder, active substance abuse (alcohol or illicit substance use within the past three months), or active suicidality.
• • Subjects will be allowed to be on stable doses of benzodiazepines and/or antidepressants while undergoing rTMS treatment.