The application of transcranial magnetic stimulation in treatment-resistant depression: insights from omics
- 1Psychiatric Hospital of Yunnan Province, The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Kunming Medical University
- 2Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Kunming Medical University
Abstract
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a refractory form of major depressive disorder (MDD) for which conventional antidepressant strategies are often insufficient. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has demonstrated clinical efficacy in TRD, but its biological mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence across transcriptomic, epigenomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and connectomic levels and is complemented by exploratory secondary analyses of publicly available omics datasets. Transcriptomic and spatial transcriptomic studies suggest that TMS modulates cell type- and region-specific transcriptional programs related to synaptic plasticity and neuronal development. Epigenetic evidence suggests potential roles for DNA methylation and lactylation-related regulation, whereas proteomic and metabolomic studies indicate changes in synaptic proteins, neurotransmitter systems, lipid metabolism, and peripheral metabolites. Connectomic studies further show that TMS can alter functional and structural connectivity involving prefrontal and large-scale brain networks associated with treatment response. Together, current evidence indicates biological changes across multiple levels, although direct causal links between molecular changes and circuit remodeling remain largely unproven. Future longitudinal multi-omics studies in patients with TRD may help identify biomarkers, clarify mechanisms, and improve individualized TMS treatment.
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BibTeX
@article{yang2026application,
title = {{The application of transcranial magnetic stimulation in treatment-resistant depression: insights from omics}},
author = {Yuan Yang and Xiaolina Zhang and Yushan Duan and Jie Wu and Mengyuan Zhang and Ruize Niu and Tianhao Bao},
journal = {Frontiers in Psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1938107},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1938107/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The application of transcranial magnetic stimulation in treatment-resistant depression: insights from omics
AU - Yuan Yang
AU - Xiaolina Zhang
AU - Yushan Duan
AU - Jie Wu
AU - Mengyuan Zhang
AU - Ruize Niu
AU - Tianhao Bao
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - Frontiers in Psychiatry
DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1938107
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1938107/full
AB - Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a refractory form of major depressive disorder (MDD) for which conventional antidepressant strategies are often insufficient. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has demonstrated clinical efficacy in TRD, but its biological mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence across transcriptomic, epigenomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and connectomic levels and is complemented by exploratory secondary analyses of publicly available omics datasets. Transcriptomic and spatial transcriptomic studies suggest that TMS modulates cell type- and region-specific transcriptional programs related to synaptic plasticity and neuronal development. Epigenetic evidence suggests potential roles for DNA methylation and lactylation-related regulation, whereas proteomic and metabolomic studies indicate changes in synaptic proteins, neurotransmitter systems, lipid metabolism, and peripheral metabolites. Connectomic studies further show that TMS can alter functional and structural connectivity involving prefrontal and large-scale brain networks associated with treatment response. Together, current evidence indicates biological changes across multiple levels, although direct causal links between molecular changes and circuit remodeling remain largely unproven. Future longitudinal multi-omics studies in patients with TRD may help identify biomarkers, clarify mechanisms, and improve individualized TMS treatment.
SN - 1664-0640
ER -