Maintenance Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Major Depressive Disorder

This an open label study using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) as a maintenance treatment for subjects that have seen a clinically significant response or remission from their depressive symptoms after having had an acute clinical course of TMS. All potential subjects must have been treated at the University of Missouri Columbia Neuromodulation Clinic to qualify.

There are 2 arms in this study. The first is a group of patients who will not receive any TMS treatments and will be followed for a year, and have their depression severity assessed monthly using the Personal Health Questionnaire (PHQ9), and the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms.

The second arm will receive TMS treatments 5 times/month for 12 months, be assessed for changes in depressive symptom severity monthly using the PHQ9 and QIDS. TMS treatment protocols will consist of wither the standard 20min 10Hz protocol, or a 3min theta-burst protocol. The protocol used will be determined by what worked for the subject when they were treated clinically at the University of Missouri Columbia Neuromodulation clinic. Subjects in this arm will be tapered of antidepressant medication prior to monthly TMS treatment and will remain antidepressant free for the duration of the study.

The study will be a year long in duration.

Inclusion criteria

• Must have recently (within 4 weeks) completed an acute TMS course (full 36 treatments) at the University of Missouri Columbia Neuromodulation clinic
• Must have clinically responded to the acute TMS treatment course (≥50% improvement according to the clinical depressive scale used - usually the PHQ-9)
• Must be able sign consent
• Must have a current address and phone number
• Must have current mental health care provider, either psychiatrist or general practioner who they see for mental health symptom management
• Must be able to taper off antidepressant medication before 1st monthly treatment block (treatment group only)

Exclusion criteria

• - Subject that has not completed a full acute treatment course, including taper
• Subjects that have changed anything that may not make them safe for TMS, which are (all changes will be reviewed by study MD, and will not necessarily be excluded possibly depending on severity):

• Any new metal near head
• Any new medical devices that cannot be removed
• Any new pregnancies (verbally confirmed)
• Seizures that occurred post-acute TMS treatment
• Any uncontrolled cardiovascular disease
• Any new head trauma
• Any new illness causing injury to brain
• Any new medications which cannot be altered or lowered that may be contraindicated for TMS treatment
• Any drug or alcohol use deemed by the study doctor as unsafe for TMS treatment
• Subjects unwilling to sign consent or follow study procedures
• Subjects with known extended travel plans which may affect study procedures and scheduled TMS treatment