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.
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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