Research · United States
NIMH-funded study explores noninvasive stimulation of deep brain areas in depression
A neuroimaging trial probed whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can reach circuits previously only accessible to surgical electrodes.
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Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is already FDA-cleared for depression. This NIMH-funded study asks whether the technique can be aimed at brain regions deeper than the standard cortical target, regions previously studied mostly with invasive deep brain stimulation.
The results are early but suggestive: targeted noninvasive stimulation can alter connectivity in deeper circuits implicated in mood regulation, opening a path to lower-risk experimental treatments for the most severe forms of depression.
Read NIMH's research highlight for the imaging findings and methodological details.
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