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Abstract Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects 10% of pregnancies. Because transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a nonmedication option, psychiatric patients who do not tolerate or prefer to avoid antidepressants are good candidates for TMS. Method In a randomized controlled trial of twenty-two women with MDD in the second or third trimester of pregnancy, subjects were randomized to active TMS (n=11) or sham TMS (n=11). This study took place at a single academic center. Subjects received 20 sessions of TMS to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex at 1 Hz as a single train of 900 pulses per session at 100% motor threshold. Estradiol and progesterone and were measured before session 1 and after session 20. Results Results demonstrated significantly decreased Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17) scores for the active compared to the sham group (p=0.003). Response rates were 81.82% for the active and 45.45% for the sham coil (p=0.088). Remission rates were 27.27% for the active 18.18% for the sham coil (p=0.613). Late preterm birth (PTB) occurred in three women receiving active TMS. All other maternal and delivery outcomes were normal. Conclusions Right-sided, low frequency TMS was effective in reducing depressive symptoms in this sample of pregnant women. There may be a possibility that TMS is associated with late PTB although a larger sample size would be needed for adequate power to detect a true difference between groups. This study demonstrated that TMS is low risk during pregnancy although larger trials would provide more information about the efficacy and safety of TMS in this population. This trial shows that an RCT of a biologic intervention in pregnant women with psychiatric illness can be conducted. Highlights • MDD during pregnancy is common but women experience challenges regarding treatment. • Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a non-pharmacologic treatment option for pregnant women with depression. • In an RCT of LF-TMS over the right DLPFC, women in the active TMS group showed a larger decrease in depressive symptoms than the sham group. • There were 3 late pre-term births in the active group which was statistically non-significant. • There was no change difference in hormone levels between the active and sham groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression during pregnancy affects 5%-8% of women. While the percentage of women in the US taking serotonin reuptake inhibitors during pregnancy has risen over the last decade, pregnant women continue to report that they prefer non-pharmacologic interventions. Objective: We review the literature regarding neuromodulation techniques for major depressive disorder during pregnancy. The rationale for their use in this population, new developments, and future directions are discussed. Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed Plus, Ovid Medline, and Embase to collect all articles on neuromodulation for the treatment of depression during pregnancy. Key search words included electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, deep brain stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, neuromodulation, depression, and pregnancy. Given the sparse literature, all articles from 1960 to 2014 that addressed the use of neuromodulation in pregnancy were included. Conclusion: The data support the use of electroconvulsive therapy in all trimesters of pregnancy for major depressive disorder. New data are emerging for the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation in pregnancy, which is likely safe, but more data are needed before it can be recommended as a primary treatment modality during pregnancy. Other neuromodulation techniques have not been well studied in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]