Table 2.
Characteristics of included studies.
| rTMS + sertraline group | Sertraline-only control group | Sertraline dosage | rTMS protocol | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Year | n | Male (n) | Female (n) | Age (years) | n | Male (n) | Female (n) | Age (years) | Frequency | Treatment duration | Treatment site | Previous treatment | |
| Xue Zhang (22) | 2025 | 40 | 15 | 25 | 14.13 ± 1.92 | 40 | 12 | 28 | 14.96 ± 2.04 | 50-200mg/d | 10Hz | 12weeks | L DLPFC | First-episode, drug-naïve |
| Jieqiong Zhu (23) | 2025 | 43 | 14 | 29 | 15.29 ± 1.94 | 43 | 16 | 27 | 15.15 ± 1.89 | 100-200mg/d | 1Hz | 4 weeks | R DLPFC | Washout: 2w |
| Fangshuo Chen (24) | 2025 | 38 | 11 | 27 | 15.55 ± 1.35 | 42 | 11 | 31 | 15.50 ± 1.38 | 50mg/d | 10Hz | 2weeks | L DLPFC | Washout: 4w |
| Guoqiang Chen (25) | 2025 | 46 | 30 | 16 | 15.42 ± 1.25 | 46 | 28 | 18 | 15.53 ± 1.26 | 50mg/d | 10Hz | 8weeks | L DLPFC | NR |
| Mingfeng Li (26) | 2024 | 40 | 19 | 21 | 15.13 ± 1.53 | 40 | 18 | 22 | 14.89 ± 1.65 | 50-100mg/d | 0.2Hz | 2weeks | NR | First-episode |
| Cheng Chen (27) | 2023 | 50 | 9 | 41 | 13.30 ± 1.43 | 50 | 11 | 39 | 13.36 ± 1.35 | 100-200mg/d | iTBS | 4weeks | L DLPFC | Drug-naïve |
| Yang Liu (28) | 2025 | 45 | 16 | 29 | 16.64 ± 3.15 | 45 | 23 | 18 | 15.54 ± 2.73 | 50-100mg | 10Hz | 2weeks | R DLPFC | First-episode |
| Sanying Xi (29) | 2023 | 41 | 24 | 17 | 14.39 ± 1.52 | 41 | 24 | 17 | 14.26 ± 1.49 | 100-150mg/d | 10Hz | 4weeks | L DLPFC | First-episode |
| Long Luo (30) | 2023 | 76 | 41 | 35 | 15.74 ± 1.21 | 75 | 42 | 33 | 15.67 ± 1.28 | 50 mg | 1Hz | 4weeks | R DLPFC | NR |
| Chunhua Hu (31) | 2022 | 30 | 17 | 13 | 14.92 ± 0.94 | 30 | 16 | 14 | 14.88 ± 0.93 | 50 mg | 10Hz | 4weeks | L DLPFC | First-episode, drug-naïve |
| Penghao Xu (32) | 2024 | 56 | 28 | 28 | 15.16 ± 2.46 | 56 | 29 | 27 | 15.48 ± 2.23 | 25-150mg | 10Hz | 4weeks | L DLPFC | Drug-naïve |
| Xiaorui Wang (33) | 2023 | 76 | 36 | 40 | 76 | 34 | 42 | NR | 25-200mg | 10Hz | 4weeks | L DLPFC | Drug-naïve | |
| Dexin Li (34) | 2025 | 57 | 24 | 33 | 15.37 ± 1.94 | 50 | 20 | 30 | 15.89 ± 1.45 | 25-150mg | 10Hz | 8weeks | L DLPFC | First-episode, drug-naïve |
| GuangHui Lu (35) | 2020 | 55 | 27 | 28 | 14.27 ± 2.31 | 51 | 24 | 29 | 14.18 ± 2.31 | 100–200 mg | 10Hz | 6weeks | L DLPFC | First-episode, drug-naïve |
| WenhaoYe (36) | 2025 | 40 | 22 | 18 | 15.42 ± 0.15 | 41 | 20 | 21 | 15.41 ± 0.16 | 50–100 mg | 10Hz | 6weeks | L DLPFC | Washout: 3mo |
| Min Zhu (37) | 2021 | 51 | 25 | 36 | 14.31 ± 2.62 | 61 | 21 | 40 | 14.60 ± 2.50 | 50–100 mg | 10Hz | 4weeks | L DLPFC | First-episode, drug-naïve |
| Han Yu (38) | 2021 | 18 | NR | NR | NR | 18 | NR | NR | NR | 50-150mg | 1Hz | 2weeks | R DLPFC | Drug-naïve |
| Qingmei Zheng (39) | 2016 | 32 | NR | NR | 13.80 ± 2.30 | 30 | NR | NR | 14.10 ± 2.10 | 50–100 mg | 10Hz | 4 weeks | L DLPFC | Washout: 2w |
| Jingjing Zhao (40) | 2025 | 40 | 17 | 23 | 15.12 ± 1.42 | 40 | 14 | 26 | 14.62 ± 1.63 | 50–150 mg | 10Hz | 4weeks | L DLPFC | Drug-naïve |
| Mingxia Zhang (41) | 2023 | 30 | 7 | 23 | 15.23 ± 1.64 | 29 | 6 | 23 | 15.23 ± 1.64 | 100mg | 10Hz | 12weeks | L DLPFC | First-episode, drug-naïve |
| Qing Ma (42) | 2023 | 40 | 21 | 19 | 16.05 ± 1.33 | 40 | 24 | 16 | 16.12 ± 1.25 | 50 mg | 10Hz | 6weeks | L DLPFC | First-episode |
| Jiaming Yan (43) | 2021 | 47 | 21 | 26 | 15.49 ± 1.24 | 47 | 23 | 24 | 15.86 ± 1.43 | 50mg | 10Hz | 6weeks | L DLPFC | First-episode, drug-naïve |
| Haisi Chen (44) | 2022 | 38 | 3 | 31 | 14.45 ± 2.19 | 39 | 8 | 31 | 14.82 ± 1.60 | 25–100 mg | 10Hz | 2weeks | L DLPFC | First-episode, drug-naïve |
| Haisi Chen (7) | 2022 | 48 | 41 | 7 | 14.65 ± 2.34 | 48 | 38 | 11 | 15.39 ± 2.44 | 50 mg | 10Hz | 2weeks | L DLPFC | First-episode, drug-naïve |
| Total | 1077 | 1078 | ||||||||||||