Panic disorder and a possible treatment approach by means of high-frequency rTMS: A case report

Panic disorder still remains a pervasive, life quality impairing disorder requiring adequate treatment options. In this case report we present the data of a patient with panic disorder and comorbid depression who was treated with high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied to the left prefrontal cortex over a course of 3 weeks. Measurements of the cerebral oxygenation with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) during an emotional Stroop task before and after the rTMS treatment suggests that rTMS may modulate panic-related prefrontal brain dysfunctions in panic patients and that it may serve as a possible treatment option for anxiety disorders.