Dorsolateral prefrontal TMS-evoked N100 as a neurophysiological correlate of symptom change in adolescent depression

Published online October 14, 2026. A change in a TMS-EEG signal tracked symptom improvement, particularly among girls, but the two exercise conditions did not differ. The signal is a research correlate, not a diagnostic or treatment-selection test.

Klomfass S, Loy JK, Wunram HL, Biermann L, Pokorny L, Bender S.
Journal of Psychiatric Research · Publication date: 2026-10-14
Added to site: 2026-10-18
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.10.013

First published online October 14, 2026; assigned to the January 2027 issue. Added to Neurofeedback.com October 18, 2026.

Modalities

TMS-EEG, ERP, EEG

Clinical focus

Adolescent depression, N100, Neurophysiological correlate

Population

Adolescents with major depressive disorder receiving treatment as usual

Sample

54 adolescents: 38 girls and 16 boys

Intervention / method

Participants received six weeks of whole-body vibration training or light stretching as an add-on to treatment as usual. Left and right dorsolateral-prefrontal TMS-evoked N100 amplitudes and depression ratings were measured before and after treatment.

Comparator

Whole-body vibration training versus light stretching, both added to treatment as usual

Clinician summary

N100 amplitudes decreased across both groups with no differential intervention effect. Greater reduction in right-hemisphere N100 amplitude was associated with greater symptom improvement, reaching significance in girls. This is an association within an add-on trial, not prospective biomarker validation.

How to interpret the findings

Modest sample, sex imbalance, no differential treatment effect, secondary correlational analysis and girls-only follow-up. The study does not show that N100 predicts future response, identifies causal mechanism or supports clinical decision-making on its own.

Equipment and disclosures

TMS-EEG acquisition and stimulation-system manufacturers were not identified in the checked abstract. No BrainMaster attribution.

The authors declared no known competing financial interests or personal relationships. Funding was not reported in the checked abstract. No indexed correction, retraction or concern notice appeared in the retained PubMed or Crossref records; this is a bounded check. AI-assisted review.

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