ACCELERATED ITBS FOR FIRST RESPONDERS WITH COMORBID DEPRESSION AND PTSD: AN OPEN-LABEL CASE SERIES

Background: Little research has been published on TMS applied specifically to first responders (e.g., police officers, firefighters, paramedics), who face unique, chronic stressors and often have distinctive clinical presentations. Moreover, the effects of an accelerated TMS protocol on comorbid depressive and PTSD symptoms have not been assessed. In this pilot study we sought to assess the suitability and clinical effects of a modified accelerated intermittent theta burst (itbs) protocol for a sample of first responders meeting diagnostic criteria for both Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).