Investigating Brain Stimulation for Adolescent Depression and Addiction
Source PublicationZeitschrift für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie
Primary AuthorsLoy, Krieg, Pokorny et al.
Adolescence is a critical period, and for some, it's marked by significant mental health challenges like major depressive disorder (MDD) and behavioral addictions (BAs). A core issue often found in these conditions is an impairment in how the brain processes rewards and controls impulses. While repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has shown promise in adults by targeting key brain regions like the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), its neurophysiological effects in adolescents remain largely unknown. This study aims to shed light on these mechanisms by examining the acute, short-term, and medium-term impacts of high-frequency rTMS on both brain activity and clinical symptoms in this younger age group.
To achieve this, researchers are conducting a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial. Adolescents aged 12-17 diagnosed with MDD or BAs are being recruited and randomly assigned to receive either active rTMS or a sham stimulation. The study carefully measures the immediate effects of a single rTMS session across both diagnostic groups, and also tracks the outcomes of 12 rTMS sessions specifically for the MDD group. Assessments include self-reported measures like the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R) and specialized craving scales adapted for BA, alongside detailed neurophysiological data from EEG-derived event-related potentials, which provide insights into reward processing, cortical excitability/inhibition, and cue reactivity.
This study is set to provide crucial novel insights into how rTMS impacts the brain in adolescent MDD and BAs. As lead author Loy notes in the paper, "Demonstrating modulation of reward- and inhibition-related EEG markers alongside clinical improvement could strengthen the evidence for rTMS as a safe and effective intervention, while informing future personalized treatment strategies for these vulnerable populations." This underscores the research's aim to inform the development of future personalized treatment strategies, offering new hope for these vulnerable young populations struggling with complex mental health conditions.