Magnetic seizure therapy in severe depression

Abstract

Objectives: Although being in an early phase of clinical research a growing body of evidence indicates that magnetic seizure therapy (MST) might be a valuable alternative to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the treatment of severe major depression (MDD) and bipolar depressive disorder. Our aim was to review current clinical literature on MST. Material and methods: Pubmed database was used to systematically search for clinical studies on MST. The terms "magnetic seizure therapy" and "clinical trials" were used. Results: Nine publications met eligibility criteria. MST showed antidepressant efficacy with response rates ranging from 40 to 70%. Negligible cognitive side effects were observed. Two publications described MKT-induced changes in local glucose metabolism in brain regions frequently been reported as dysfunctional in depression. Conclusions: MST might be an effective, safe and more tolerable alternative to ECT for the treatment of severe depression, especially on treatment-resistant depression. Larger samples of double-blind design are needed to replicate clinical safety and efficacy of MST.