2.6.2. Intervention Dose
tumors, brain abnormalities, trauma
ADVERSE EFFECTS, TUMORS
Each participant undertook the pre-treatment fMRI scan, which was performed in the University Research Facility in Behavioural and Systems Neuroscience at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, in order to ensure that participants’ brains had no structural defects, tumors, brain trauma, or any other brain abnormalities. In this study, we delivered 300 pulses to the subjects’ left DLPFCs in each session (total: 1800 pulses). All participants (both the TPS group and the WC group) received six 30 min TPS sessions with three sessions per week on alternate days for two consecutive weeks. The energy levels ranged from 0.2–0.25 mJ/mmTo ensure the fidelity of the intervention, the project team ascertained whether the interventions were delivered as intended in the study protocol. The interventionist (PI) possesses a PhD in the Social Sciences (HKU) and is a UK- and HK-licensed mental health professional with more than 10 years of clinical experience in mental health and neuroscience. The research associate issued WhatsApp message reminders (e.g., TPS intervention schedule, fMRI scan appointments, and f/u appointments slips) to subjects, monitoring the subjects’ progress, any adverse effects, and also adherence throughout the trial period.