Evaluating the Big Five Inventory (BFI) Personality Traits as Predictive Factors for Response to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD)
Background: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an effective yet time-intensive and costly treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). There is a lack of understanding around predicting who will respond to TMS. Personality traits may be related to response to MDD treatments, including TMS.
Methods: 13 patients with treatment-resistant MDD received 30-37 daily sessions of TMS (1, 18, or 50 Hz, total of 1980 pulses delivered per session) to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Depressive symptomatology was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Big Five Inventory (BFI) was used to measure personality traits at the beginning and end of treatment.
Results: Personality did not change as a result of TMS. Linear regressions indicated no relationship between any of the five BFI traits at baseline and percent change in PHQ-9 score. In contrast to previous research, none of the five BFI traits’ initial scores were associated with whether participants achieved response or remission after TMS.
Conclusions: It is unclear whether the BFI has predictive validity for antidepressant response to TMS. Further research is necessary to evaluate this relationship.