Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of anxiety disorders: A systematic review of the state-of-the-art

Abstract

Psychiatric disorders, particularly related to depression and anxiety, are emerging as the most disabling diseases of the new era. Finding different intervention methods to treat these conditions is a public health challenge. Thus, exploring the results obtained by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is critical since this neurostimulation technique could position itself as a blunt alternative to manage anxiety pathologies. In this review, a systematic search for TMS use in anxiety disorders was carried out based on the PRISMA criteria. It was found that the most effective protocol for TMS treatment for anxiety disorders is performed with low-frequency stimulation (1 Hz), with 110% of the motor threshold. Furthermore, repeated TMS has proven its effectiveness in different psychiatric disorders — not only as a therapeutic alternative but also in the search for neurological biomarkers—. TMS favors neuromodulation through the generation of action potentials, which facilitates the treatment of pathologies related to emotional components, such as anxiety. However, further research is needed to specify the neurobiological mechanisms present in the improvement of symptoms.

Keywords

• Anxiety disorders. Neurostimulation. Repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation.