I am mostly interested in the interface between neuromodulation (or brain stimulation) techniques, mood disorders and suicidal behavior. I am currently conducting research aimed at assessing the neurobiology/neuropsychology of two key vulnerability factors for suicidality in depressed patients (i.e., deficits in decision-making and impulse control) with the use of a neuromodulation technique called “transcranial direct current stimulation” (tDCS). My ultimate goal is to develop a novel neuromodulation-based therapeutic intervention for reducing suicidal behavior. I am also investigating the clinical utility of alternative neuromodulation protocols for treating mood disorders including, for example, a procedure called “accelerated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation” (rTMS). Finally, I have been regularly conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses to evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of neuromodulation treatments for mood and anxiety disorders.

Dr Marcelo T. Berlim has done his medical training and specialization and master’s degree in psychiatry in Brazil. In Quebec, he did a clinical and research fellowship in mood disorders at McGill University. Dr Berlim is currently an associate professor at the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University, director of the Neuromodulation Research Clinic and psychiatrist at the Depressive Disorders Program at the Douglas Institute. Dr Berlim’s medical practice focuses on the management of resistant depressive disorders and his research activities concentrate on the use of novel neuromodulation (or brain stimulation) techniques for better understanding as well as treating mood disorders and suicidal behavior.

– NARSAD Young Investigator Award, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, 2013

– Chercheur-boursier clinicien, Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS), 2011

– Discovery Award, Banting Research Foundation, 2011

Frederique Van Den Eynde, MD, PhD
Carlos Dias, PhD
Tracey Griffith, RN
Andreanne Gauthier, technician in neuromodulation

Graduate and/or postgraduate students with a strong background in experimental and/or clinical research who are interested in the field of neuromodulation are welcome to forward their CVs to nrc.douglas@me.com

1: Berlim MT, Van Den Eynde F. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for treating posttraumatic stress disorder: an exploratory meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind and sham-controlled trials. Can J Psychiatry. 2014 Sep;59(9):487-96. PubMed PMID: 25565694; PubMed Central
PMCID: PMC4168811.

2: McGirr A, Van den Eynde F, Tovar-Perdomo S, Fleck MP, Berlim MT. Effectiveness and acceptability of accelerated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder: an open label trial. J Affect Disord. 2015 Mar 1;173:216-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2014.10.068. Epub 2014 Nov 11. PubMed PMID: 25462419.

3: Berlim MT, Van den Eynde F, Tovar-Perdomo S, Chachamovich E, Zangen A, Turecki G. Augmenting antidepressants with deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (DTMS) in treatment-resistant major depression. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2014 Sep;15(7):570-8. doi: 10.3109/15622975.2014.925141. Epub 2014 Jul 22. PubMed PMID: 25050453.

4: Berlim MT, McGirr A, Van den Eynde F, Fleck MP, Giacobbe P. Effectiveness and acceptability of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subgenual cingulate cortex for treatment-resistant depression: a systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis. J Affect Disord. 2014 Apr;159:31-8. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2014.02.016. Epub 2014 Feb 17. Review. PubMed PMID: 24679386.

5: McGirr A, Van den Eynde F, Chachamovich E, Fleck MP, Berlim MT. Personality dimensions and deep repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (DTMS) for treatment-resistant depression: a pilot trial on five-factor prediction of antidepressant response. Neurosci Lett. 2014 Mar 20;563:144-8. doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2014.01.037. Epub 2014 Jan 30. PubMed PMID: 24486892.

6: Hawco C, Berlim MT, Lepage M. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex plays a role in self-initiated elaborative cognitive processing during episodic memory encoding: rTMS evidence. PLoS One. 2013 Sep 5;8(9):e73789. doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0073789. eCollection 2013. PubMed PMID: 24040072; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3764025.

7: Berlim MT, Neufeld NH, Van den Eynde F. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): an exploratory meta-analysis of randomized and sham-controlled trials. J Psychiatr Res. 2013 Aug;47(8):999-1006. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2013.03.022. Epub 2013 Apr 21. Review. PubMed PMID: 23615189.

8: Berlim MT, van den Eynde F, Tovar-Perdomo S, Daskalakis ZJ. Response,
remission and drop-out rates following high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for treating major depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind and sham-controlled trials. Psychol Med. 2014 Jan;44(2):225-39. doi: 10.1017/S0033291713000512. Epub 2013 Mar 18. Review. PubMed PMID: 23507264.

9: Berlim MT, Van den Eynde F, Daskalakis ZJ. High-frequency repetitive
transcranial magnetic stimulation accelerates and enhances the clinical response to antidepressants in major depression: a meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind, and sham-controlled trials. J Clin Psychiatry. 2013 Feb;74(2):e122-9. doi: 10.4088/JCP.12r07996. PubMed PMID: 23473357.

10: Berlim MT, Van den Eynde F, Daskalakis ZJ. Efficacy and acceptability of high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) versus
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for major depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials. Depress Anxiety. 2013 Jul;30(7):614-23. doi: 10.1002/da.22060. Epub 2013 Jan 24. Review. PubMed PMID: 23349112.

11: Berlim MT, McGirr A, Beaulieu MM, Van den Eynde F, Turecki G. Are neuroticism and extraversion associated with the antidepressant effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)? An exploratory 4-week trial. Neurosci Lett. 2013 Feb 8;534:306-10. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2012.12.029. Epub 2013 Jan 3. PubMed PMID: 23291399.

12: Berlim MT, Van den Eynde F, Jeff Daskalakis Z. Clinically meaningful efficacy and acceptability of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for treating primary major depression: a meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind and sham-controlled trials. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2013 Mar;38(4):543-51. doi: 10.1038/npp.2012.237. Epub 2012 Nov 19. Review. PubMed PMID: 23249815; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3572468.

13: Berlim MT, Van den Eynde F, Daskalakis ZJ. A systematic review and
meta-analysis on the efficacy and acceptability of bilateral repetitive
transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for treating major depression. Psychol Med. 2013 Nov;43(11):2245-54. doi: 10.1017/S0033291712002802. Epub 2012 Dec 3. Review. PubMed PMID: 23200131.

14: Berlim MT, McGirr A, Beaulieu MM, Turecki G. Theory of mind in subjects with major depressive disorder: is it influenced by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation? World J Biol Psychiatry. 2012 Sep;13(6):474-9. doi: 10.3109/15622975.2011.615861. Epub 2011 Sep 22. PubMed PMID: 21936767.

15: Berlim MT, McGirr A, Beaulieu MM, Turecki G. High frequency repetitive
transcranial magnetic stimulation as an augmenting strategy in severe
treatment-resistant major depression: a prospective 4-week naturalistic trial. J Affect Disord. 2011 Apr;130(1-2):312-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2010.10.011. Epub 2010 Nov 5. PubMed PMID: 21056475.