Objective:To explore the effects of intermittent theta burst magnetic stimulation(iTBS)and 1 Hz repetitive tran-scranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS)on depressive symptoms and cognitive function in elderly patients with depression.Methods:Eld-erly patients with depression were divided into iTBS group(n=30)and 1 Hz rTMS group(n=43)according to the treatment regi-men.On the basis of antidepressant treatment for both groups,the left dorsolateral prefrontal lobe of the iTBS group was given a stimula-tion frequency of 50 Hz from the internal frequency,5 Hz from the inter-frequency and stimulation strength of 110%RMT,with a stimu-lation time of 2 s,an intermission of 8 s,and a repetition of 20 times,with a total of 600 pulses lasting for 200 s.The 1 Hz rTMS group was given a stimulation frequency of 1.0 Hz and a stimulation intensity of 110%RMT in the dorsolateral right prefrontal lobe,and was treated for 20 min per day,with a total of 1,200 pulses per treatment.Patients in both groups were treated 5 times per week at the same fixed time for 4 weeks for a total of 20 treatments.The Hamilton Depression Scale 24(HAMD-24),Geriatric Depression Scale(GDS),Beck Suicidal Ideation Inventory-Chinese Version(BSI-CV),Wisconsin Card Sorting Test,and Part A of the Connection Test were used for assessment before and after treatment,and adverse reactions during treatment were recorded.Results:With the prolongation of treat-ment time,the HAMD-24 and GDS scores of the two groups gradually decreased(P＜0.05),and the HAMD-24 and GDS scores of the iTBS group were lower than those of the 1 Hz rTMS group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).After4 weeks of treatment,the number of correct responses of the patients in the iTBS group was higher than that of the 1 Hz rTMS group,and the num-ber of incorrect responses,BSI-CV score suicidal ideation intensity and suicide risk were lower than those of the 1 Hz rTMS group,and the TMT-A time was shorter than that of the 1 Hz rTMS group,with a statistically significant difference between the groups(P＜0.05).During the treatment period,there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence rate of adverse reactions between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion:There are significant advantages of iTBS over1 Hz rTMS in treating elderly patients with depression in terms of improving depressive symptoms,reducing suicidal ideation,and improving cognitive performance,and there was no increased treatment safety risk.