The Dosage Effect of pBFS Guided rTMS Treatment for MDD

In 2022, the FDA cleared a large dosage of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), which requires 10 sessions per day of 1,800 pulses per session for a total of 18,000 pulses per day. The inter-session interval is 50 min, and it costs patients 9 hours for the intervention. The investigators assume that patients with moderate to severe depression may not need 10 sessions per day, patients may achieve response or remission with a less amount of dosage, which will save the cost of treatment. Hence, the investigators try to find the optimal treatment dosage for patients with moderate to severe depression. After being informed about the study and potential risks. All patients giving written informed consent will undergo a screening period to determine eligibility for study entry. At week 0, patients who meet the eligibility requirements will be randomized in a double-blind manner in a 1:1:1:1:1 ratio to each active rTMS group with different pulses (4×1800 pulses, 6×1800 pulses, 8×1800 pulses, 10×1800 pulses) and sham-control group. And then all participants will undergo a 5-day rTMS treatment followed by four- and eight weeks follow-up visits. Participants will keep a stable treatment regime during treatment and the four-week follow-up.