Deep TMS and rTMS are safe brain stimulation methods that do not need surgery. Doctors now use them more often to help people with mental and brain problems. Before giving treatment, doctors must first check the Resting Motor Threshold (MT). MT is the smallest amount of magnetic power that can make a muscle move when it is at rest. Treatment Intensity (TI) is then decided as a percent of MT so that the treatment works well but also stays safe [1].

MT can change a lot between different people and even in the same person at different times. Many things can change MT like sleep, daily body clock (circadian rhythm), brain structure (such as thickness of brain surface or distance from scalp to brain) the type of coil used the way the doctor gives the treatment and machine settings [2,3]. Medicines can also affect MT. Drugs such as anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines and antipsychotics can change how active the brain is and may shift MT values [1,4].

In schizophrenia, many studies have shown changes in brain activity, brain control and brain support systems. Research shows that rTMS treatment for negative symptoms often uses 110% of MT which proves that MT is the base for setting TI in this illness [5]. For example Prikryl et al. found that patients with schizophrenia showed good improvement in negative symptoms when treated with high-frequency rTMS at 110% MT compared with sham treatment [5].

Other brain studies with TMS have found poor brain control (cortical inhibition) in schizophrenia but only small or mixed changes in MT [6]. Medicines also play a role. Daskalakis et al. found that antipsychotic drugs change brain control and may affect MT levels [4].

In dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), MT is linked to changes in the brain that come with age and illness. Zadey et al. showed that when brain activity was higher (lower MT) it matched with worse thinking problems in mild-to-moderate AD [7]. Reviews on TMS in dementia patients also show that MT and TI results are very different but in general, older people and those with brain shrinkage (atrophy) tend to have higher MT [8]. Weiler et al. noted that differences in methods such as how MT is measured and used for TI, make it hard to compare AD studies [9]. A recent review also said that even though most dementia studies set TI as a percent of MT they often do not give the actual MT numbers which makes it hard to compare results [10].

From these findings we see clear patterns. In schizophrenia, TI is usually set as a percent of MT (most often 110%) but MT numbers themselves change with stage of illness and type of medicine [4 - 6]. In dementia and AD, MT is usually related to age and illness severity but studies often do not report MT clearly [7 - 10].

Since real-world patients are very different in their age, illness, sex and medicines it is important to study MT and TI in detail. This study focuses on finding out which patient factors change MT, how TI is set in different illnesses and how medicines (both the number and the type) affect MT and TI. We have tried to answer these questions by looking at data from an outpatient deep TMS clinic.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The present study was designed with the following objectives:

1. To identify clinical and demographic factors influencing resting motor threshold (MT).
2. To evaluate factors influencing treatment intensity (TI).
3. To examine the relationship between MT and TI.
4. To investigate the role of medications.
5. To explore subgroup variability.
6. To provide clinical insights for practice.

2 RELATED WORKS

 2.1 Resting Motor Threshold (MT) and Its Clinical Role

Resting motor threshold (MT) is very important in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). MT shows the lowest magnetic power needed to make a muscle move when it is resting [11]. MT tells us how excitable the brain is and is used in psychiatry and neurology as both a biomarker and a safety guide. Treatment intensity (TI) is usually given as a percentage of MT, mostly 110% to keep both safety and good results balanced [12]. Experts say MT must be checked carefully and should be checked again if there are changes in health or medicines (McClintock et al., 2018) [13]. But in hospitals and clinics this step is often skipped.

MT can be found either by just looking at the muscle or by using electromyography (EMG) which is more correct [14]. MT can change because of coil type, coil placement, stimulator power and also natural body factors like sleep - wake time, alertness, brain thickness and distance between scalp and brain [15]. Cotovio et al. (2021) showed that MT can change from one session to another [16] and Wendt et al. (2023) showed that time of day can also affect it [17]. MT usually becomes higher with age because the brain gets weaker called cortical atrophy (Julkunen et al., 2012; Bhandari et al., 2016) [18,19]. The difference in MT between boys and girls is still not clear [20,21].

 2.2 MT in Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders

In mental disorders, MT patterns are not the same. In schizophrenia, problems in inhibition are present but MT results are not always the same; clozapine makes it harder to understand [4,6]. Most treatment protocols use 110% MT [5] but patients without medicines show different MT results [22]. Antipsychotic drug dose also affects MT (Thörnblom et al., 2025) [23]. In dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), MT changes show less brain flexibility and lower MT is linked to memory problems (Zadey et al., 2021) [7]. But some studies say MT becomes higher because of brain atrophy [24]. Reviews show mixed results which makes it hard to compare studies (Holczer et al., 2020; Weiler et al., 2020; Pagali et al., 2024) [8 - 10]. In depression, MT is mostly used to fix dosage, since Lee et al. (2025) found no connection between MT and results [25]. But changes in MT during sessions raise the need to adjust TI as treatment goes on [16].

Medicines also affect MT in strong ways. Benzodiazepines and anticonvulsants make MT go higher [26,41]. Antidepressants and antipsychotics have mixed effects [4,23] and lithium increases brain inhibition which also raises MT [27]. McClintock et al. (2018) said MT should be checked again when medicines are changed [13] but studies in hospitals (Carpenter et al., 2021) show this is not done often [28].

In other disorders, MT is also important. In OCD, deep TMS at 100 - 120% MT helps reduce symptoms (Carmi et al., 2019) [29] but MT does not tell us how bad the symptoms are [30,31]. In bipolar disorder, MT looks like unipolar depression but lithium and anticonvulsants make results confusing [27,32]. McGirr et al. (2016) said most protocols use 110% MT but data is still less [33]. In Parkinson’s disease, MT is higher but levodopa lowers MT [34,35]. Protocols here use 90 - 110% MT which shows careful checking is needed [36]. In stroke recovery, MT is used to see brain pathway strength and higher MT in the damaged side shows poor recovery [37,38]. This proves MT is very important after stroke (Dionísio et al., 2018) [39].

 2.3 Broader Implications and Methodological Factors

Medicines change MT through brain chemicals like GABA and glutamate. Benzodiazepines raise MT [40], anticonvulsants raise MT by blocking sodium channels [41] and SSRIs/SNRIs may lower MT if used for long [42]. Antipsychotics usually raise MT [4] while stimulants lower MT [43]. Ziemann (2013) said it is very important to check medicines before fixing TI [26]. The design of the device is also important: coil shape changes depth and focus [44,45] while neuronavigation helps in better dosing [18]. Distance from scalp to brain also changes accuracy [15]. But in real practice, MT is not often checked again during treatment [28]. If MT is checked regularly, safety and results can improve [46].

In anxiety disorders, rTMS at 110% MT reduced symptoms (Dilkov et al., 2017) [47]. PTSD studies showed help at 120% MT (Kozel et al., 2019) [48]. In epilepsy, MT is usually low because the brain is more excitable but anticonvulsants raise MT [41,49]. Low-frequency rTMS at 90 - 100% MT can help reduce seizures a little [50]. In multiple sclerosis, higher MT is due to nerve covering loss called demyelination [51]. Treatment here mostly uses 100 - 110% MT. Across many disorders, MT is used more for dosage than for predicting results which is confirmed in MDD [25], OCD [30] and PTSD [48].

 2.4 Research Gaps and Future Directions

But MT is not always stable and it can change during treatment (Cotovio et al., 2021) [16]. Even though experts suggest it, most clinics only measure MT once [28]. There are still many gaps like less large studies, not enough understanding of how age, sex and drugs change MT and problems with reporting. In real life, hospitals often do not follow the same rules as research especially when it comes to checking MT again.

This study wants to solve these issues by studying MT and TI in real-world deep TMS treatments. By looking at age, health and medicines it hopes to understand MT changes better, improve dosing and bring research and clinic practice closer together. This can help make TMS both safer and more useful for patients.

3.1 Study Design This naturalistic observational study was done in a real hospital setting and not like randomized controlled trials because there was no control group. The aim was to explain resting motor threshold (MT) and treatment intensity (TI) in different patients who were getting deep TMS or rTMS. The observational method was chosen so that changes, problems and chances in daily practice could be seen which are often missed in controlled trials [52]. Patients were not the same; they had different illnesses like depression, schizophrenia, dementia, bipolar disorder, OCD and Parkinson’s disease. They were also different in age, sex and medicines they used. This helped in checking how these things affected MT and TI. 3.2 Study Setting The study happened in an outpatient neurostimulation clinic where TMS therapy was given as normal care. Standard safety and treatment rules from international recommendations were followed [12,36]. Before therapy started, every patient had an MT test and then treatment sessions were planned. 3.3 Study Population The study included adults (≥18 years) who got deep TMS or rTMS and their MT and TI values at the start were noted. Age, sex, illness (DSM/ICD categories) and medicine use were also recorded. People were not included if their MT or TI data was missing, if they were younger than 18 or if they were part of experimental trials outside routine care. 3.4 Variables of Interest The main focus was on MT which is the lowest stimulator power needed to make the APB muscle move in ≥50% of tries [53]. TI was the treatment strength shown as a percentage of MT (mostly 100 - 120%). Other patient details were also kept like age (in years and groups), sex, illness, extra health problems and medicines like antidepressants, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines, stimulants, mood stabilizers and others. 3.5 Measurement of Resting Motor Threshold (MT) MT was tested as per standard rules [12]. An H-coil or figure-of-eight coil was placed on the left motor cortex and the stimulator power was changed until MEPs ≥50 µV were seen in at least five out of ten tries using EMG. If EMG was not available, thumb movement was seen but this was less exact [14]. MT was checked at the start and sometimes again if health changes were noticed, though in real life this was not done often [28]. 3.6 Measurement of Treatment Intensity (TI) TI was taken from treatment records and written as a percentage of MT at the start. For depression and OCD, TI was 100 - 120% MT [29,47]; for schizophrenia, nearly 110% MT [5]; and for Parkinson’s disease or stroke, 90 - 110% MT [36,39]. 3.7 Data Cleaning and Preparation Data was taken from hospital files and cleaned by removing incomplete entries, turning MT and TI into numbers, grouping illnesses and putting medicines into categories as per set lists [26,40 - 42]. New values were made like medicine count, age groups and yes/no type drug-use signs. 3.8 Statistical Analysis The analysis included simple numbers (means, standard deviations), frequency counts and comparison tests like ANOVA, Kruskal - Wallis, t-tests and Tukey post-hoc. Regression was used to check what affected MT (age, sex, illness, medicines) and TI (MT and other factors). Correlation and interaction tests studied the link between MT and TI in different groups [54]. Mixed-effects models were used when MT was tested more than once and reliability was checked by looking for outliers, sensitivity tests and subgroup analysis [55]. 3.9 Ethical Considerations The data was taken from hospital records in which names were removed. Patients had already given consent for treatment. The study followed the Declaration of Helsinki and got IRB approval [56]. 3.10 Methodological Strengths and Limitations The good points of the study were that it showed real-life use, had many patients and included different illnesses and medicines. Strong statistical methods like regression and mixed-effects models made the results better. But there were also weak points like no control group, MT was not tested again often so time changes were missed and medicine details like dose and timing were not always complete.

4.1 Study Population

A total of 1101 patients were included. Of these, 975 had valid MT values and 1050 had valid TI values. The sample consisted of 592 males and 507 females, with 2 cases missing sex data.

The age distribution showed 331 patients <30 years, 479 patients aged 30 - 49, 248 aged 50 - 69 and 36 aged 70+. The most common diagnoses were major depressive disorder (426 patients) and OCD (371 patients), followed by anxious depression (85), alcohol dependence syndrome (24), schizophrenia with negative symptoms (19), unspecified depression (18), dementia (11) and bipolar depression (11).

Table 4.1 Top 10 diagnoses in the sample (N = 1101)

Table 4.2. Patient counts by age group and sex

4.2 Distributions of MT and TI

The mean MT was 58.7% stimulator output (SD = 11.7). The mean TI was 54.9% of MT (SD = 9.8). Both MT and TI showed moderately wide distributions, reflecting heterogeneity in patient characteristics. Histograms demonstrated slightly skewed distributions, with a small number of patients requiring very high MT values. TI values clustered around the therapeutic ranges typically used in clinical practice.

Table 4.3. Descriptive statistics of age, MT, TI and drug count

 4.3 MT and TI Relationship

The scatterplot of MT vs TI demonstrated a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.58). Regression analysis confirmed that higher MT values were generally associated with higher TI. However variability was evident: some patients with high MT were treated with relatively low TI and vice versa.

4.4 Demographic Factors

 Age: MT increased with age. Patients aged ≥70 years required the highest MT values. TI, However did not rise proportionally; instead, TI showed a modest decline with advancing age. Sex: Males exhibited slightly higher MT values than females. TI values were broadly similar between sexes.

 4.5 Diagnostic Subgroups

When the top six diagnostic groups were studied, clear patterns were found. In patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), MT values stayed within normal adult levels and TI was mostly used at about 120% MT. For patients with obsessive - compulsive disorder (OCD), TI was almost always fixed near 100% MT, even if MT values were different between patients. In those with anxious depression both MT and TI were at middle levels and looked very similar to the pattern seen in MDD. Patients with alcohol dependence syndrome showed more changes in MT values compared to those with mood disorders. In schizophrenia with negative symptoms, MT values were higher especially in patients who were taking antipsychotics and TI was usually close to 110% MT. For older patients with dementia, MT values were higher but TI was often kept close to 100% MT. The boxplots showed that MT values were higher in schizophrenia and dementia compared to mood disorders.

 4.6 Medication Effects

Motor threshold (MT) values were influenced by both the number and type of medications prescribed. Patients taking three or more drugs showed the highest MT values, indicating a cumulative effect of polypharmacy. Among drug classes, antipsychotics particularly clozapine and olanzapine were linked to elevated MT while anticonvulsants and benzodiazepines produced the most pronounced increases. Lithium was also associated with higher MT levels in patients with bipolar depression. In contrast, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin – norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) demonstrated variable but generally mild effects. Interestingly, dopaminergic medications such as levodopa reduced MT in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Overall these findings confirmed that both the number and class of medications significantly affected MT thereby influencing the calibration of treatment intensity (TI).

 4.7 Correlation Analysis

MT vs TI

The correlation between motor threshold (MT) and treatment intensity (TI) was moderate and positive (r = 0.58). Drug count showed only a weak positive correlation with MT (r = 0.05) but its association with TI was slightly stronger (r = 0.09). Age had minimal correlation with MT (r =  - 0.04) and a small negative correlation with TI (r =  - 0.10).

4.8 Cluster Analysis

Unsupervised clustering revealed three distinct patient subgroups. The first group, with low MT and low TI, included younger patients often diagnosed with depression or obsessive - compulsive disorder (OCD) and typically on minimal medication. The second group, characterized by high MT and high TI, consisted of older patients, frequently with schizophrenia or dementia and commonly prescribed multiple medications. The third group displayed intermediate MT values with variable TI, representing a heterogeneous mix of diagnoses and medication profiles.

Table 4.4 Summary of key findings on Motor Threshold (MT) and Treatment Intensity (TI)

5.1 Overview

This study looked at resting motor threshold (MT) and treatment intensity (TI) in a mixed group of outpatients who were getting deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The goal was to find out how things like age, sex, illness type and medicines change MT and TI and also to study the link between these two. By using real-world patient data the study tried to explain why MT and TI are different in people and what this means for daily treatment in clinics.

 5.2 Resting Motor Threshold and Treatment Intensity in Outpatient Populations

The average MT in this group was 58.7% of the stimulator power and the average TI was 54.9% of MT. Both MT and TI were very different across patients, showing that the group was not the same. There was a moderate positive link between MT and TI which means that TI often followed MT but not always. Doctors sometimes used fixed protocol ranges or their own judgment. This shows that MT and TI are not always joined together, because doctors also think about safety, treatment rules and how much the patient can handle before deciding TI.

 5.3 Influence of Demographic Factors

Age and sex played a big role in changing MT. Older patients had higher MT, probably because of age-related brain changes. But TI did not always rise with age. This could mean that older people got less brain stimulation which may make treatment weaker. Male patients had slightly higher MT than female patients. This may be because of skull shape and scalp-to-brain distance. These results show that MT should be checked for each person carefully and tested again during treatment.

 5.4 Diagnostic Group Differences

Different illnesses showed different MT and TI patterns. Patients with schizophrenia had high MT especially if they were on antipsychotic drugs. For them, TI was usually set around 110% MT. Patients with dementia also had higher MT because of age but TI was often kept at 100% MT. In depression, MT was normal and TI was around 120% MT. In OCD, TI was usually set at 100% MT. This shows that even though TI rules are different for each illness, MT itself can be very different which means one single rule may not work for all.

 5.5 Medication Effects on MT

Medicines also changed MT. Patients who were taking many medicines together (polypharmacy) had higher MT than those taking only one medicine or none. This shows that using many medicines together makes the brain less excitable. Looking at drug classes, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines and lithium made MT go up. On the other hand, dopamine drugs used for Parkinson’s disease made MT go down. SSRIs and SNRIs showed mixed effects, not the same for all patients. This shows that MT must be checked again whenever medicines are changed, because not checking can cause wrong TI or side effects.

 5.6 Relationship Between MT and TI

The link between MT and TI was real but not very strong. This means TI is decided not only by MT but also by illness rules, protocols and doctor’s choice. For example OCD treatment always uses TI at 100% MT no matter the real MT. In depression, TI often goes up to 120% MT. This shows TI does not always match the patient’s own MT which raises the question of whether making TI more personal could give better treatment.

 5.7 Clinical Implications

These results have many important uses. Since MT is different depending on age, sex, illness and medicines, TI should also be made personal for each patient, not the same for everyone. MT should be checked again during treatment because it changes with medicines and time. Patients who take many medicines usually have higher MT so doctors must review medicines before TMS. Older patients often do not get enough TI because their MT is high but TI is not raised which may make their treatment less useful. Illness-specific TI rules should also be flexible because MT is not the same for all patients.

 5.8 Limitations

This study had some limits. It was observational and retrospective which makes it harder to compare groups directly. The patient group was very mixed which is normal for real life but makes results harder to compare. MT was not tested many times for all patients so changes over time could not be studied well. Medicine data were grouped by type and number but not by dose and timing which may also affect MT. There was no control group so clear cause-and-effect could not be said, though that was not the main goal of this study.

 5.9 Future Directions

Future studies should test if changing TI more carefully for age, illness and medicines can give better results. Studies that test MT many times in the same patient will help understand how MT changes and how TI should be adjusted. Future work should also add brain scans, brain activity tests and computer models with MT and TI data to better predict treatment results.

 5.10 Conclusion

This study gave real-world proof that MT and TI change a lot between patients in outpatient care. MT was affected by age, sex, illness and medicines. TI was linked to MT but also guided by rules and doctor’s practice. These results show that treatment should be personal and flexible to make TMS both safe and effective.

This study looked at resting motor threshold (MT) and treatment intensity (TI) in a mixed group of outpatients who were getting deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The main focus was to see how MT and TI values were different in patients and what things affected them giving useful ideas for treatment. MT and TI were not the same for everyone they changed a lot from patient to patient in real treatment. The average MT was about 58.7% of the machine’s power and the average TI was 54.9% of MT but these numbers were very different across people because of their body and health conditions.

Age and sex had a big effect on MT. Older patients and males usually showed higher MT values but TI did not always grow in the same way which showed that some older people may not get enough stimulation. Different diagnoses also showed changes. People with schizophrenia and dementia had higher MT compared to people with mood disorders. Still TI was often kept at the same level inside each diagnosis group, even though their brain needs were not the same.

Medications had a very strong effect on MT. When patients were on many drugs together called polypharmacy their MT went higher. Some drugs like anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines, lithium and antipsychotics pushed MT up while dopaminergic drugs made MT lower. These results showed how much medicines can change brain activity. Even though MT and TI were related they were not always exactly equal, because doctors often followed common treatment rules and also cared about the comfort of patients instead of keeping exact numbers.

Some small groups of patients showed special MT - TI patterns. Younger patients mostly had low MT and TI but older patients who were on many medicines had very high MT and TI. These patterns showed that every patient needs a different dose and that treatment should be changed for each person. Together these results give a real-world picture of how MT and TI change with age, diagnosis and medicines.

 6.2 RECOMMENDATIONS

Doctors should not use the same TI for everyone but should choose it based on the person. It is important to check MT again and again especially when medicines are changed or when treatment is for a long time. Older people need extra care as they may have high MT but not always get enough TI. Checking medicines should be a main part of TMS planning because drugs have a big effect. Treatment rules should allow changes in TI based on diagnosis and each patient’s MT.

Future studies should look at how MT changes over time, how to make TI better and how brain scans may help in predicting outcomes. Studies should also compare different disorders to see if higher TI gives better results. Rules for treatment should include the effects of drugs and polypharmacy and training for doctors should improve their understanding of how age and medicines affect MT and TI.

 6.3 FINAL REMARKS

MT and TI are strongly shaped by age, diagnosis and medicines. Standard values are often used in practice but adjusting treatment for each patient is very important. Careful checking of MT and choosing the right TI can make TMS safer and more helpful for patients.

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