The trial, led by investigators in the Emory University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, tested whether two weeks of low-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) could lower reactivity in the amygdala and improve PTSD symptoms. TMS delivers magnetic pulses to influence activity in specific brain regions, and the team used MRI scans to identify precise stimulation sites for each participant.
Fifty adults with PTSD symptoms enrolled; 47 completed the study. Most participants were recruited through the Grady Trauma Project. People were randomly assigned to active TMS or a placebo treatment in a blinded design, and MRI scans measured amygdala responses to threat before and after treatment.
Active TMS reduced right amygdala reactivity compared with placebo and produced significant clinical improvement that appeared after two weeks and lasted at least six months. Seventy-four percent of the active group experienced a clinically meaningful reduction in symptoms.
Difficult words
- amygdala — small brain area involved in emotion
- reactivity — how strongly a part responds to something
- stimulation — action that increases activity or response
- transcranial — through or across the skull
- magnetic — produced by or related to magnets
- placebo — inactive treatment given as a control
- improvement — a measurable positive change in condition
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Discussion questions
- What do you think about using MRI scans to choose stimulation sites for treatment?
- How important is it that the study used a placebo and a blinded design?
- What would it mean for patients if improvement lasts at least six months?
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