Brainsway recently released the results from their randomized controlled double-blind clinical trial assessing the efficacy and safety of the company’s proprietary H6-coil deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) System for the treatment of adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Reduced activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a region that controls the ability to respond to changing attentional demands, has been observed in patients with ADHD. The study included 75 adults (ages 18-60 years), with ADHD who had not previously received TMS. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: dTMS coil targeting the right DLPFC (n=27), dTMS coil targeting the left DLPFC (n=28), or a control group (n=20). Participants underwent treatment consisting of 15 daily dTMS sessions, conducted five days a week with the Brainsway dTMS H6 coil, or sham. Each patient underwent fMRI before and after the treatment phase. At each treatment session, participants also performed six minutes of computerized cognitive training. Significant improvements were observed in the Inattention/Memory Problems subscale of the Conner’s Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS) self-report questionnaire, in both the left and the right treatment groups, compared to the sham control (p=0.033). In the post-hoc analysis, activation of the right stimulation group was significantly greater than that of the left stimulation or sham groups (p<0.05). Increased fMRI brain activation in the right DLPFC during a working memory task was only apparent following treatment in the right stimulation group (p=0.01). This increase in the right DLPFC activation was associated with larger symptom improvement exclusively in the right stimulation group (p<0.05). Results suggest that dTMS via the H6 coil applied to the right DLPFC may be an effective treatment protocol for symptoms of ADHD in adults. Future research is needed.
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>> BrainsWay Lyd. Press Release
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