Electric Field Modeling for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Electroconvulsive Therapy

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent condition and present first-line treatment options are inadequate. Among nonpharmacological treatment alternatives, noninvasive brain stimulation shows tremendous promise. There are two approved brain stimulation techniques for the treatment of MDD: electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). The goal of this study is to quantify the induced electric field (E-field) at the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in a group of depressed patients. This study aimed to characterize the induced electric field distributions in a population of patients who received bilateral and/or unilateral electroconvulsive therapy and in a group of patients who received rTMS for the treatment of depression. We also investigated an alternative magnetic stimulation approach, using rotating permanent magnets.