Short-term and long-term efficacy of accelerated transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background In recent years, accelerated transcranial magnetic stimulation (aTMS) has been developed, which has a shortened treatment period. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and long-term maintenance effects of aTMS in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods We systematically searched online databases for aTMS studies in patients with MDD published before February 2023 and performed a meta-analysis on the extracted data. Results Four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 10 before-and-after controlled studies were included. The findings showed that depression scores significantly decreased following the intervention (SMD = 1.80, 95% CI (1.31, 2.30), p