[Transcranial magnetic stimulation in depressed patients: a new antidepressive therapeutic principle? Presentation of a pilot trial].

So far Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) has been established as a technique for studying function of the pyramidal tract in diverse neurological diseases, being both safe and practically free from undesirable side-effects. 5 depressive patients, diagnosed as ICD 9, 296.1 and 296.3 were treated with amitryptiline and TMS, either immediately at onset or as therapy-refractory patients up to 5 weeks after the beginning of their respective episodes. The results of this pilot study document a significant and swift decrease of depressive symptoms scored on the Hamilton rating scale. A single catatonic patient, ICD 9 295.7, presented a clinically impressive but transient improvement of her psychotic condition. Possible analogies between TMS and ECT are discussed as tentative hypotheses for the postulated efficacy of TMS. Further investigations seem warranted, as this method appears to be swift and effective in the treatment of depressive illness.