{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]],"date-time":"2026-08-07T15:52:52Z","timestamp":1786117972534,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]],"date-time":"2026-08-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785974400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychiatry"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To evaluate the efficacy of high-frequency rTMS targeting the left DLPFC in mild postpartum depression (PPD) and its association with plasma neuropeptide levels (BDNF, NPY, SP, and oxytocin).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In this prospective, non-randomized controlled study, 120 women with mild PPD received rTMS plus standard care (n = 60; 10\u00a0Hz, left DLPFC, 20 sessions over 4 weeks) or standard care alone (n = 60). HAMD-17 and EPDS scores and plasma BDNF, NPY, SP, and OXT (ELISA) were assessed at baseline and weeks 2, 4, and 8. Longitudinal between-group effects were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models, with neuropeptide comparisons corrected by the Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Baseline characteristics were largely comparable, except for breastfeeding pattern (P\u00a0=\u00a00.012). At week 4, the rTMS group had lower HAMD-17 (6.55 vs. 9.30; P &amp;lt; 0.001) and EPDS scores (6.15 vs. 9.27; P &amp;lt; 0.001), with higher response (58.3% vs. 3.3%) and remission rates (71.7% vs. 15.0%; both P &amp;lt; 0.001), although controls also improved. rTMS-treated patients showed elevated plasma BDNF (27.30 vs. 20.27 ng\/mL), NPY (114.60 vs. 98.63 pg\/mL), and OXT (181.25 vs. 163.00 pg\/mL) and reduced SP (52.69 vs. 62.27 pg\/mL) at week 4 (all P \u2264 0.009; all surviving FDR correction). The OXT difference persisted after adjustment for baseline OXT and breastfeeding. Within-group neuropeptide changes did not correlate with individual symptom change. Benefits persisted at 8 weeks; adverse events were mild and self-limiting.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In this non-randomized study without a sham control, rTMS added to standard care was associated with greater improvement in mild PPD than standard care alone, sustained through 8 weeks. The concurrent modulation of BDNF, NPY, SP, and OXT represents an exploratory association rather than an established mechanism. These preliminary findings require confirmation in multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled trials.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1867202","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]],"date-time":"2026-08-06T14:58:08Z","timestamp":1786028288000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for mild postpartum depression and its association with changes in plasma neuropeptide levels: a prospective, non-randomized controlled study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Meihong","family":"Huang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics, Jinjiang Municipal Hospital (Shanghai Sixth People\u2019s Hospital Fujian)","place":["Jinjiang, Fujian, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Donghua","family":"Shi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics, Jinjiang Municipal Hospital (Shanghai Sixth People\u2019s Hospital Fujian)","place":["Jinjiang, Fujian, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jingling","family":"Ni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics, Jinjiang Municipal Hospital (Shanghai Sixth People\u2019s Hospital Fujian)","place":["Jinjiang, Fujian, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Qingxiao","family":"Shi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology, Jinjiang Municipal Hospital (Shanghai Sixth People\u2019s Hospital Fujian)","place":["Jinjiang, Fujian, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ronghai","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacy, Jinjiang 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