Does rTMS on brain areas of mirror neurons lead to higher improvements on symptom severity and empathy compared to the rTMS standard procedure? – Results from a double-blind interventional study in individuals with major depressive disorders

A key feature of major depressive disorders is the lack of emotional processing such as empathy. To counter this, we tested, if brain stimulation on areas rich of mirror neurons on the left inferior parietal lobe (lIPL) might improve emotional processing, including empathy, compared to a standard brain stimulation on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (lDLPFC). Twenty inpatients (mean age: 38.9 years; 55% females) with severe major...