Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is associated with increased abstinence in substance use disorders and comorbid depression

TL;DR

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may help reduce depression and substance cravings, leading to more days of abstinence in people with substance use disorders and depression.

Contribution

This study shows that rTMS improves depression and craving in substance use disorders, with more sessions linked to greater abstinence.

Findings

rTMS significantly reduced depression severity and craving in patients with SUDs and MDD.

More rTMS sessions predicted increased days of abstinence, even after controlling for confounders.

Abstract

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are associated with high rates of comorbid depression. Finding effective treatments for many of the substances of abuse is still an area of developing research. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an established treatment for depression, but its effects in SUDs are less conclusive.

Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of rTMS in patients with SUDs and comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD).

We conducted a retrospective observational study of 55 patients with SUDs and comorbid MDD who were eligible for rTMS. Craving was measured using the Brief Substance Craving Scale (BSCS). Severity of MDD was measured using the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) scale.

We found a statistically significant difference between baseline and posttreatment scores in patients receiving rTMS on both CGI-S scores and BSCS scores. The number of rTMS sessions significantly predicted increased days of abstinence in the community, even after controlling for confounders.

Patients with SUDs and MDD who received rTMS significantly improved in the areas of severity of depression and craving. The number of rTMS sessions significantly predicted increased abstinence.

None Declared