PhD Defence Amourie Honor Josephine Prentice

Keywords: Depression, Orbitofrontal Cortex, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Electroencephalogram
 

"Novel Interventions and Treatment Selection Predictors for Treatment Resistant Depression"

Depression is a common mental health condition, but standard treatments don’t work for about two out of three people. When symptoms persist despite multiple treatments, it’s called treatment-resistant depression (TRD). New strategies are urgently needed for people with TRD. This thesis explored two promising directions. First, it examined a specific brain signal—called rostral anterior cingulate cortex-theta activity—to see if it could help predict who will or won’t respond to treatment. This may make it easier to tailor care to each person. Second, it tested a new brain target for a therapy called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which uses magnetic pulses to stimulate brain activity. The new target—the right lateral orbitofrontal cortex—may help individuals who haven’t improved with conventional TMS approaches. By improving how we identify and treat TRD, this research aimed to offer better outcomes for people living with depression that hasn’t responded to standard care. 

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