Comparing Two Transcranial Temporal Interference Stimulation Protocols for Depressive Disorder: a Secondary Data Analysis

Background: Transcranial temporal interference stimulation (tTIS) is a novel noninvasive approach for depression, but the optimal protocol remains unclear. We conducted a secondary data analysis of two studies to compare two tTIS protocols. Methods : We reanalyzed the raw data from two studies: one group of patients (N = 30; mean age = 34.7 ± 10.8 years)received an intensive protocol (five tTIS sessions within one week), and another group (N = 20; mean age = 36.0 ± 12.2 years) participated in a less intensive protocol (five sessions over three weeks). Changes from baseline (T0) in the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) were analyzed at three time points: shortly after five tTIS sessions (T1), at one-week (T2) and four-week follow-ups (T3). Response and remission rates were also evaluated. Results : Both protocols showed significant reductions in the HAMD and HAMA scores at T1, T2 and T3 compared to T0. However, reductions in HAMD scores were significantly large in the intensive protocol at T1 and T2. Additionally, the intensive protocolshowed markedly higher response rates for depression at T1 (60% vs. 20%). No significant protocol differences were observed in HAMA scores, although the intensive protocol displayed a higher response rate at T1 (55% vs. 15%) and T2 (70% vs. 40%) , and a higher remission rate at T3 (40% vs. 5%). Conclusions: A relatively intensive tTIS protocol appears to yield a faster, greater, and more sustained therapeutic effect.