Antidepressant Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation from a Perspective of Neural Network Dynamics

: The neurobiological mechanisms that regulate the therapeutic effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) remain unknown to date. An optimized rTMS protocol has not been established, partly due to the wide variability in its aftereffects among individuals who have undergone the treatment. Responder rates to rTMS for treating major depression have been reported to be modest (30 to 40 percent). Thus, optimization and personalization of an rTMS protocol is required for better treatment outcomes. To this end, it is necessary to identify brain biomarkers for predicting responsiveness to rTMS treatment and the aftereffects and for personalizing rTMS. In this review, we introduced potential biomarkers of rTMS response for treating major depression by employing two modalities of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalogram (EEG) from a perspective of neural network dynamics.