Saban Family Foundation

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive method that holds promise for treating several psychiatric disorders. Yet the most effective location and parameters for treatment need more exploration. Also, whether rTMS is an effective treatment for individuals with a DSM-IV diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) has not been empirically tested. The goal of this pilot study is to evaluate whether fMRI guided rTMS is effective in reducing symptoms of GAD.

The objective of this study was to obtain preliminary open-label data on the efficacy and tolerability of memantine, an anti-glutamatergic medication with a unique pharmacodynamic profile, in individuals with OCD and individuals with GAD. Because glutamatergic hyperactivity in frontal and frontal-subcortical circuits may play a role in the symptomatic expression of OCD, and possibly GAD, agents that reduce glutamatergic neurotransmission should provide unique anti-stress and anti-obsessional benefits. Memantine is a specific, uncompetitive antagonist at the NMDA receptor that blocks sustained activation of the NMDA receptor by high concentrations of glutamate under pathological conditions but rapidly leaves the NMDA channel upon transient physiological activation by low concentrations of glutamate.