Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33509288›Full record

ArticleJournal of eating disorders2021

A preliminary exploration of the effect of concurrent antidepressant medication on responses to high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in severe, enduring anorexia nervosa.

Bethan Dalton, Jessica McClelland, Savani Bartholdy, Maria Kekic, Iain C Campbell, Ulrike Schmidt

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of eating disorders, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 39% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. rTMS Therapy for Eating Disorders: Scoping Review on Efficacy, Safety, Stimulation Parameters and Study Subjects.European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Bethan DaltonSection of Eating Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0898-1926
Jessica McClellandSection of Eating Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
Savani BartholdySection of Eating Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
Maria KekicSection of Eating Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
Iain C CampbellSection of Eating Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
Ulrike SchmidtSection of Eating Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK. ulrike.schmidt@kcl.ac.uk.
King's College London · GB

Funding

Department of Health PB-PG-1013-32049Research for Patient Benefit Programme RB-PG-1013-32049
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a promising treatment option for people with severe, enduring anorexia nervosa (SE-AN). As depression is often comorbid with AN, antidepressant medication is commonly prescribed to this patient group. Concurrent antidepressant medications may affect the rTMS treatment response. Therefore, in a secondary analysis of data from a feasibility trial, we explored the effect of antidepressant medication on responses to rTMS in people with SE-AN.

methodsTwenty-six participants with SE-AN received 20 sessions (over 4 weeks) of neuronavigated high-frequency real rTMS to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Eating disorder (ED) and general psychopathology symptoms were assessed at baseline, post-treatment and at a 4-month follow-up.

resultsParticipants taking antidepressants (n = 16) for the duration of the rTMS treatment had a greater reduction in ED symptoms at the 4-month follow-up, compared to those not taking antidepressants (n = 10). Antidepressant status was not however associated with significant changes in mood outcomes.

conclusionsIn people with SE-AN receiving rTMS treatment, preliminary findings suggest a potential synergistic effect of antidepressant medication in reducing ED symptomatology. There was however no associated reduction in affective symptoms i.e., the effect does not seem to be related to changes in mood. The sample in this exploratory study was small and heterogenous. However, the preliminary results provide a basis for hypothesis generation for future studies.

Indexed as

Anorexia nervosa, eating disordersRepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

Identifiers

PMID33509288
PMCPMC7845115
OpenAlexW3125468180

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.