Transcranial magnetic brain stimulation for OCD

An eight-year QIMR Berghofer clinical trial of a brain stimulation treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has ended with a negative result, but researchers say the outcome helps progress the development of effective interventions for the debilitating condition. In results published in the journal Nature Mental Health, the trial of a specific form of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) treatment found it did not benefit against symptoms of OCD. However, Associate Professor Luca Cocchi said the clear findings will help illuminate a path in his team’s ongoing search for new brain stimulation treatments. “These are important findings that allow us to focus our attention on new and more effective ways of tackling OCD symptoms,” said A/Prof Cocchi, who led the trial. The TMS trial focused on whether the intervention could offer a non-invasive way of reducing OCD symptoms, in combination with existing treatments. TMS delivers magnetic pulses to stimulate nerve cells and change brain activity. A specific form of TMS has been successful in the treatment of depression, but its efficacy against OCD was unclear ahead of the QIMR Berghofer trial.