Brain Connectivity Subtypes Predict rTMS Response for Anhedonia in Depression

Major depressive disorder remains a leading cause of global disability, yet clinical outcomes are often limited by the significant heterogeneity of the disease. While repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has established efficacy as a non-invasive neuromodulation tool for treatment-resistant cases, its success rates vary widely across different patient populations [1, 2]. Current clinical practice largely relies on fixed stimulation protocols, as personalized approaches guided by standard imaging or electroencephalography have not yet consistently demonstrated superior antidepressant efficacy in large-scale trials [3, 4]. This lack of reliable predictive markers often leads to prolonged treatment courses for patients who may ultimately receive little benefit [5, 6]. To address this gap, a new study investigates whether mapping individual deviations in brain connectivity can identify stable biological subtypes to predict specific symptomatic responses to neurostimulation.