Shorter recovery times and better cognitive function—A comparative pilot study of magnetic seizure therapy and electroconvulsive therapy in patients with depressive episodes

Abstract

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Comparative efficacy and cognitive function of magnetic seizure therapy vs. electroconvulsive therapy for major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Among the 10 articles finally included, 4 articles are randomized controlled trials (RCT) [ 10 , 13 , 16 , 28 ], 1 article is a controlled crossover experiment [ 29 ], and 5 articles are non-randomized controlled trials [ 12 , 14 , 30 – 32 ]. Due to the particularity of the intervention treatment, it is difficult to achieve a randomized group study.…”

“…Eight studies used the HAMD scale change score to evaluate the efficacy of treating depression symptoms, and a total of 262 patients were included [ 10 , 12 , 14 , 28 – 32 ]. It should be noted that, as shown in the Fig.…”

“…Four studies used neuropsychological evaluation to evaluate the efficacy of immediate visual-spatial recall in patients with depression, and a total of 112 patients were included [ 10 , 12 , 14 , 16 ]. There was no heterogeneity between studies, and fixed effect model was used for analysis.…”

“…Compared with ECT, MST can more accurately induce currents in the cerebral cortex’s surface space and selectively stimulate the local cerebral cortex without affecting the deep brain nuclei [ 11 ]. In recent years, more and more studies have continuously confirmed that MST has better efficacy and more overall benefits than ECT in the treatment of MDD [ 12 – 14 ].…”

The efficacy and acceptability of hybrid electroconvulsive therapy compared with standard electroconvulsive therapy for schizophrenia patients: A parallel-group, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial

“…Another small but significant difference was the shorter ORT of Phase 2 in the HECT arm. Similarly, a study of magnetic seizure therapy found that the recovery times for consciousness were shorter in the magnetic seizure therapy group than in the ECT group [8]. Considering that magnetic seizure therapy also uses electrical currents to induce seizures and that the strength of the electric field in the brain is smaller than that of ECT [9], we speculated that the fewer AEs and decreased ORT may be related to the absence of seizures or lower energy.…”