Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can target specific neural circuits, which may allow for personalized treatment of depression. Treatment outcome is typically determined using sum scores from validated measurement scales; however, this may obscure differential improvements within distinct symptom domains. The objectives for this work were to determine: (1) whether a standard depression measure can be represented using a four symptom cluster model and (2) whether these symptom clusters had a differential response to rTMS treatment.

Data were obtained from two multi-centre randomized controlled trials of rTMS delivered to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) for participants with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) conducted in Canada (THREE-D [Conducted between Sept 2013, and Oct 2016] and CARTBIND [Conducted between Apr 2016 and Feb 2018]). The first objective used confirmatory factor analytic techniques, and the second objective used a linear mixed effects model. Trial Registration: NCT01887782, NCT02729792.

In the total sample of 596 participants with TRD, we found a model consisting of four symptom clusters adequately fit the data. The primary analysis using the THREE-D treatment trial found that symptom clusters demonstrated a differential response to rTMS treatment (F(3,5984) = 31.92, p < 0.001). The anxiety symptom cluster was significantly less responsive to treatment than other symptom clusters (t(6001) = -8.02, p < 0.001). These findings were replicated using data from the CARTBIND trial.

There are distinct symptom clusters experienced by individuals with TRD that have a differential response to rTMS. Future work will determine whether differing rTMS treatment targets have distinct patterns of symptom cluster responses with the eventual goal of personalizing rTMS protocols based on an individual's clinical presentation.

Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Brain Canada.