The Antidepressant Effects of rTMS After Ischemic Stroke

This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial aims to assess the effectiveness of rTMS in treating depression after basal ganglia ischemic stroke and to examine whether such effects are related to restoration of white matter integrity.Sixty-six participants will be recruited from three centers and randomized with a 1:1 ratio to receive active rTMS treatment or sham rTMS treatment in addition to routine supportive treatments.The data of neuropsychological tests and MRI will be collected at 0, 2 and 4 weeks after the commencement of the treatment.The primary outcome is the measurement of 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-24) scores, and the secondary outcomes include diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) results and the results of neuropsychological tests including National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADLs), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA),Clinical Global Impressions scales(CGI), Aphasia Battery in Chinese (ABC), Social Support Revalued Scale (SSRS) and Medical Coping Questionnaire (MCMQ).