Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation significantly influences the eating behavior in depressive patients

BACKGROUND: Depressive syndrome is one of the most common of psychiatric diseases and is ranked as the largest single contributor to global disability. Depression worsens the treatment outcomes of comorbid conditions and is a predictor of an increased mortality rate. Frequent comorbidities accompanying depressive syndrome are eating disorders (ED). The novel brain stimulation technique termed repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been developed as a clinical tool to treat depression. Simultaneously the effect of rTMS has been studied on ED. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to monitor the correlation between the improvement in depressive symptoms and changes in eating behavior after rTMS treatment, and potential possibility of the utilization of rTMS in the treatment of these frequent comorbid conditions. METHODS: To map the change in eating behavior, this study follows the changes in answers 5 and 7 in the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. The patients were treated with high-frequency rTMS focused on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. RESULTS: We observed a significant change in both questions. At the same time, the change in both questions correlates with a variance in the overall depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: The rTMS treatment of depressive syndrome resulted in significant clinical improvements, including changes in eating behavior.