EEG monitoring in depressed patients undergoing repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

To date, 33 subjects diagnosed with major depressive disorder have undergon e transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in the authors' clinic. Five of t hese patients showed minimal electroencephalogram (EEG) variants at baselin e. The authors describe the course of treatment and serial EEGs in 3 of the 5 patients who did not show progressive EEG changes in association with ac tive rTMS. These three cases suggest that minimal EEG anomalies at baseline need Mot serve as a contraindication to undergoing rTMS. Two patients with progressive EEG changes in association with sham rTMS in one and active rT MS in the other are also discussed.