ArticleBrain stimulation
Effectiveness of transcranial magnetic stimulation for posttraumatic stress disorder: A multisite, propensity-matched cohort study of treatment parameters.
Article in Brain stimulation. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Toward an Iterative, Testable Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Framework for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.Biological psychiatry global open science · 2026Article
- Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation in Psychiatric Disorders: Mechanisms, Models, and Missing Links.Biological psychiatry · 2026Review
- Body-based therapies and transcranial magnetic stimulation for posttraumatic stress disorder: a proposed integrative approach.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundTranscranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is increasingly used off-label for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), often applying protocols developed for depression. While prior studies suggest high-frequency TMS can improve PTSD symptoms, few have been adequately powered to compare protocols. We examined whether three common TMS protocols yield equivalent outcomes for PTSD in a large, multisite cohort of veterans.
methodsClinical outcomes were analyzed from 756 veterans with comorbid PTSD and depression treated with antidepressant TMS across multiple VA sites. Protocols included left prefrontal 10 Hz TMS (n = 526), left prefrontal intermittent theta burst TMS (iTBS; n = 71), and deep TMS (dTMS; n = 61). PTSD symptoms were measured with the PTSD symptom checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Primary outcomes included PTSD response (>10-point reduction) and remission (PCL-5 <33). Propensity score matching adjusted for baseline differences. Equivalence was set at 10 % for categorical outcomes and Cohen's d = 0.25 for continuous outcomes. Depression outcomes were also analyzed.
resultsAll three TMS protocols produced substantial PTSD symptom reductions (18-22 points). PTSD response rates were 63 % (10 Hz), 65 % (iTBS), and 78 % (dTMS); remission rates were 47 %, 48 %, and 49 %, respectively. Both iTBS and dTMS were noninferior to 10 Hz (all ps < 0.05). Depression outcomes demonstrated similar patterns. DISCUSSION: In this large multisite cohort study of veterans with PTSD and depression, 10 Hz, iTBS, and dTMS protocols demonstrated comparable clinical effectiveness. Limitations are those inherent to cohort studies of veterans. These findings support the effectiveness of TMS for PTSD, and protocol selection based on patient-specific or logistical considerations rather than efficacy differences.
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Registered trials
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