An international survey of different transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) protocols for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Vlasios Brakoulias; Phuong Hien Duc Nguyen; Dongni Lin; Nguyen Dang Khoa Pham

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113765

An international survey of different transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) protocols for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Psychiatry Res. 2021 Apr:298:113765. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113765. Epub 2021 Jan 26.

Authors

Vlasios Brakoulias¹, Phuong Hien Duc Nguyen², Dongni Lin³, Nguyen Dang Khoa Pham³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Blacktown Hospital, Western Sydney Local Health District - Mental Health Service, Blacktown, NSW, Australia.; Western Sydney University School of Medicine, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia.
² Western Sydney University School of Medicine, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia.. Electronic address: 19057734@student.westernsydney.edu.au.
³ Western Sydney University School of Medicine, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia.

PMID: 33571799
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113765

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate current preferences and trends in the delivery of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). A 10-item online questionnaire was developed and conducted online between April to June 2020, surveying providers of TMS for patients with OCD internationally. A total of 27 valid responses were analysed from 10 countries. The most common target for TMS was the supplementary motor area and stimulation was commonly given bilaterally, but techniques differed between centres. Exposure tasks were not commonly used during TMS. The study calls for more research clarifying the best mode of TMS delivery for OCD.

Keywords: Protocols; Survey; TMS.

MeSH terms

Humans
Motor Cortex*
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder* / therapy
Surveys and Questionnaires
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Treatment Outcome