Introduction
depression
TREATMENT SIDE EFFECTS
Lower levels of heart rate variability (HRV) are generally associated with a wide range of diminished health aspects (In summary, there is only one open study reporting an increase in HRV after a full treatment session of rTMS. This finding would be strengthened if replicated with a sham-controlled design. Also, since other treatment options for depression, such as tricyclic antidepressant agents (TCAs), clearly diminish HRV, a lack of such negative treatment side effects of rTMS would be beneficial. The present study aimed at investigating the effect on HRV of a treatment course with iTBS, targeting the DMPFC in patients with depression. Further aims were to investigate the correlation between symptom change and change in HRV and also to investigate whether baseline HRV would predict symptom change.