effectiveness of low-frequency rtms and cbt in reducing symptoms severity and improving cognitive flexibility in adults with ocd: a clinical trial

Introduction: this study aims to assess and compare the effects of low-frequency (lf) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rtms) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (cbt)on symptoms and cognitive flexibility of adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (ocd).methods: this is a randomized clinical trial conducted on 24 people with ocd living in zanjan city, iran, in two groups of cbt (n=12) and rtms (n=12). the cbt with exposure and response prevention (erp) was presented at 20 sessions. the rtms (1 hz) was delivered at 100 resting motor thresholds using an 8-shaped coil over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlpfc) (f4) for 2 weeks at 10 sessions. they completed the yale-brown obsessive-compulsive scale (y-bocs) and the cognitive flexibility inventory (cfi) before, immediately, and one month after the intervention. collected data were analyzed in spss software, version 22.results: results showed a significant difference between the two groups in the severity of ocd symptoms (obsessions and compulsions) immediately after the intervention (p<0.001), where higher reductions were observed in the cbt group. there was no significant difference between the two groups in cognitive flexibility (p>0.05). no significant difference was found between the groups in any study variable one month after interventions. conclusion: there is a significant difference between cbt and lf-rtms techniques in reducing the severity of ocd symptoms, while there is no difference between them in improving the cognitive flexibility of the patients.