Poster Session 04 Program Schedule
02/15/2024
12:00 pm - 01:15 pm
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)
Poster Session 04: Neuroimaging | Neurostimulation/Neuromodulation | Teleneuropsychology/Technology
Final Abstract #47
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Outcomes and Disparities for Black Patients: A Pilot Study
Jasmine Hargrove, University of Minnesota Duluth, Graduate Department of Psychology, Duluth, United States
Nicole Walker, Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, United States
Lisa Cruz, Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, United States
Michelle Madore, Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, United States
Category: Neurostimulation/Neuromodulation
Keyword 1: neuromodulation
Keyword 2: depression
Objective:
Previous neuromodulation research has consisted of mostly white patients due to lack of access for treatment in patients of color. Non-traditional methods such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are less likely to be offered to African American/Black patients, and when methods are applied, they are often not administered to with the same titration standards as their White counterparts. Repetitive TMS is an evidenced based treatment for adults with treatment resistant depression (TRD), however, literature specific to neuromodulation outcomes for Black individuals is limited. Given the importance of decreasing disparities in access for non-traditional treatment for those with TRD, this study sought to explore the differences in TMS treatment outcomes in Black individuals in comparison to White individuals.
Participants and Methods:
Participants consisted of 1013 Veterans (14% African American/Black; age M=51.73, SD = 14.00; 2% unemployed) who completed a full 30-session course of TMS treatment and had endorsed significant depressive symptoms at baseline (Patient Health Questionnaire-9; PHQ-9 score >5). Differences between pre and post-test for Black and White groups were analyzed using paired samples t-test. Differences in ethnicity and employment between groups were analyzed with chi square analyses. Differences across treatment for Black patients were examined with repeated measures t-test.
Results:
Black patients endorsed significantly reduced depression symptoms post-TMS treatment (p<.01). There was no significant difference in response and TRD remission post- TMS treatment between Black and White participants (p=.528). Age and employment status were not significant predictors of TMS treatment efficacy (p=.425). Black participants were just as likely to complete treatment as White patients (81%).
Conclusions:
Findings suggest that TMS is effective in reducing symptoms in participants with TRD. There was no significant difference in response and remission outcomes for White and Black participants. Black patients with higher education were also less likely to dropout (81%). Future research should include larger samples of Black participants and focus on bridging the gap between neuromodulation clinicians in communities of color that have historically experienced barriers in receiving equitable health care treatment.
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