RUNNING HEAD: TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION FOR DEPRESSION 1
Transcranial magnetic stimulation of neural plasticity in treatment of major depression
Sam Lilienthal
College of the Redwoods
TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION FOR DEPRESSION 2
Current treatment plans for major depression hold evidence that suggests the necessity of
expansion of treatment beyond pharmaceutical, psychiatric, and electroconvulsive therapies in
the lessening of patient distress and experience. In the emerging studies involving neural
plasticity there is some evidence to suggest that targeted stimulation of the neocortex and
cerebellum with repetitive, noninvasive magnetic theta microwave bursts, may reinvigorate areas
of the brain that may have diminished due to psychological malady and/or injury. First
established and defined in 1985 as a safe and potential treatment catalyst for neurological
disorders (Barker, Jalinous, & Freeston), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has
been the subject of much scrutiny. Studies conducted have gathered evidence for treatments for
Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, recovery from stroke, etc. rTMS is an alternative
treatment for major depression where psychotherapy, pharmaceutical intervention and
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has failed. Associated claims suggest that the repetitive
treatment use of TMS for the intervention of major depression may reactivate the plasticity of a
region of the patient’s brain where depression may have decreased overall activity. Provided by a
metanalysis of aggregate data collected about plasticity, it is found that there is evidence to
suggest the inherent neurodevelopmental plasticity of human beings throughout its lifespan, thus
suggesting it may be duly manipulated, (Guyer, Perez-Edgar, & Crone, 2018). While it is
currently used as a treatment for major depression, studies are ongoing.
As outlined in a study conducted by Nyffeler, et al. (2006), it is possible to infer the
plastic changes in humans throughout development by way of varying frequencies of stimulation
using TMS. The purpose of this is to design treatments that directly affect structures in the
patient’s brain to reduce the severity of mental or neurological maladies. The study conducted is
on six, right-handed males with normal to corrected vision. During the experiment, the subjects
TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION FOR DEPRESSION 3
were told to fixate on a target following the theta bursts. The results show that the time in which
it took to snap to a target increased dramatically, representing changes from the baseline of
saccade latency of 25%. The results present the possibility of mechanical stimulation of the
neural network to combat neurological decay and reinvigorate plasticity. The results suggest the
use of magnetic theta-burst therapy could be used in targeting specific regions of the brain for the
treatment of psychological and neurological diseases. While fascinating and exciting, more
studies should be conducted and with a more diverse group of subjects beyond right-handed
males.
In a follow-up study involving older adults conducted by Sidhu, Pourmajidian, Opie, &
Semmler, (2017), posed the question if the data given by earlier studies can apply to those
individuals of advanced age. This study represents the evolution of the Nyffeler experiment in
