LAUSR

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) generates an electric current beneath the coil that can induce depolarization in a localized area of the cerebral cortex and therefore modulate cortical excitability. This is the basic therapeutic mechanism of rTMS for treating depression. In 2008, rTMS was cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who had previously failed to respond to one or more antidepressant agents. The development of mania or hypomania in depressed patients treated with rTMS has been observed in previous studies, but its occurrence is rare. In this article, we report on a high‐ frequency rTMS‐induced hypomania in an elderly man with MDD but no history of hypomania/mania.