Feasibility of home-based accelerated intermittent theta-burst stimulation (aiTBS) for depression: A case series

Feasibility of home-based accelerated intermittent theta-burst stimulation (aiTBS) for depression: A case series | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Feasibility of home-based accelerated intermittent theta-burst stimulation (aiTBS) for depression: A case series Katharina Kerkel, Andreas Reissmann, Berthold Langguth, Mirja Osnabruegge, and 5 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6915977/v2 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 2 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Show more versions Abstract Introduction: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an established treatment option for major depressive disorder (MDD), but is currently limited to clinical settings such as hospitals or doctors’ offices. Technical and logistical challenges have so far prevented its application in patients’ homes. Methods: In this pilot study, five outpatients with MDD (aged 29–65 years), living up to 120 km from a tertiary care hospital (Regensburg, Germany), received home-based mobile TMS treatment using an accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation protocol (aiTBS; 5 sessions per day, 1800 pulses per session). Treatment was delivered using a conventional DuoMAG XT-100 device (Deymed Diagnostics, Hronov, Czech Republic). Feasibility was evaluated through assessment of logistical challenges, device handling, safety, treatment tolerability and patient satisfaction. Depressive symptoms were measured before and after treatment using the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-21) and the Major Depression Inventory (MDI). Results: Home-based TMS treatment was feasible with no serious adverse events reported. A reduction in depressive symptom scores was observed. Major logistical challenges included device transport, space requirements and the need for trained personnel on site. Conclusion: Our pilot data demonstrate the feasibility of home-based TMS using a conventional clinical device, while highlighting substantial technical and logistical limitations. These limitations call for the development of lightweight, portable and patient-friendly TMS devices is urgently needed to expand neurostimulation therapies beyond clinical settings. Further studies with larger samples are warranted, using randomized controlled designs comparing home-based and clinic-based TMS to evaluate not only feasibility, but also efficacy under standardized conditions. transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) home-based treatment Major depressive disorder accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (aiTBS) Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 2 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Show more versions Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6915977","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":489620590,"identity":"66ee7022-1f57-45ae-88bc-1f59ca2bdfd7","order_by":0,"name":"Katharina 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