Effects of magnetic seizure therapy on anterograde and retrograde amnesia in treatment-resistant depression

Cardiovascular Effects of High-Frequency Magnetic Seizure Therapy Compared With Electroconvulsive Therapy

BACKGROUND

Magnetic seizure therapy (MST) is a novel convulsive therapy that has been shown to have antidepressant efficacy comparable to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) with fewer cognitive side effects. However, the cardiovascular (CVS) effects of high frequency MST in comparison to ECT have not been investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty-five patients with depression received 6 treatment sessions of 100 Hz MST versus 6 bifrontal ECT treatments in a nonrandomized comparative clinical design. Data on CVS function including heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and rate pressure product (RPP) were collected at baseline (T0), after the induction of anesthesia but before the electrical stimulation (T1), during convulsion (T2), 2 minutes after cessation of motor seizure (T3), 5 minutes after cessation of motor seizure (T4), and 10 minutes after cessation of motor seizure (T5). Comparisons were made with baseline data and between MST and ECT groups.

RESULTS

There were statistically significant elevations in the maximum HR, SBP, DBP, and RPP in patients receiving ECT compared with MST both in the initial and sixth treatments (all P < 0.05). Particularly, at T2, the ECT group had significantly higher HR, SBP, DBP, and RPP than those in MST group both in initial and sixth treatment (all P < 0.001). At the sixth treatment, the ECT group had significantly higher SBP, DBP, and RPP during the treatment than in the MST group (all P < 0.001).

LIMITATIONS

The anesthetic choices for this study may limit the generalizability of our findings. The sample size was relatively small.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with ECT, high-frequency MST has fewer CVS side effects and may be a safer option for depression patients with CVS disorders.

Noninvasive neuromodulation of the prefrontal cortex in mental health disorders

More than any other brain region, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) gives rise to the singularity of human experience. It is therefore frequently implicated in the most distinctly human of all disorders, those of mental health. Noninvasive neuromodulation, including electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) among others, can-unlike pharmacotherapy-directly target the PFC and its neural circuits. Direct targeting enables significantly greater on-target therapeutic effects compared with off-target adverse effects. In contrast to invasive neuromodulation approaches, such as deep-brain stimulation (DBS), noninvasive neuromodulation can reversibly modulate neural activity from outside the scalp. This combination of direct targeting and reversibility enables noninvasive neuromodulation to iteratively change activity in the PFC and its neural circuits to reveal causal mechanisms of both disease processes and healthy function. When coupled with neuronavigation and neurophysiological readouts, noninvasive neuromodulation holds promise for personalizing PFC neuromodulation to relieve symptoms of mental health disorders by optimizing the function of the PFC and its neural circuits. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03191058.

A Preliminary Study of Adjunctive Nonconvulsive Electrotherapy for Treatment-Refractory Depression

Nonconvulsive electrotherapy (NET) defined as electrical brain stimulation administered like standard electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), but below seizure threshold, could be effective for patients with treatment-refractory depression (TRD) with fewer adverse neurocognitive outcomes. However, there is a lack of studies in Chinese patients with TRD. Thus, this study was conducted to examine the efficacy and safety of adjunctive NET for Chinese patients with TRD. Twenty TRD patients were enrolled and underwent six NET treatments. Depressive symptoms, response, and remission were assessed with the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) at baseline and after 1, 3, and 6 NET treatments. Neurocognitive function was assessed by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) at baseline and after the completion of six NET treatments. Mean HAMD-17 scores declined significantly from 26.2 to 10.4 (p < 0.001) after post-NET. The rates of response and remission were 60.0% (95% CI: 36.5-83.5) and 10.0% (95% CI: 0-24.4), respectively. Neurocognitive performance improved following a course of NET. No significant association was found between changes in depressive symptoms and baseline neurocognitive function. Adjunctive NET appeared to be effective for patients with TRD, without adverse neurocognitive effects. Randomized controlled studies were warranted to confirm these findings.

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

INTRODUCTION

Magnetic seizure therapy (MST) is a new convulsive therapy that is as effective as traditional electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in treating depression but with fewer cognitive side effects. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and cognitive effects between MST (100 Hz applied over the vertex) and bifrontal ECT for treating patients with depressive episodes.

METHODS

Forty-five patients with depressive episodes were enrolled, with 18 receiving MST and 27 receiving ECT. MST was administered over the vertex with 100 Hz frequency. Treatment consisted of six sessions. The 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) was used to assess the severity of depression. The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) was used to assess cognition. Assessments were performed at baseline and after the third and sixth treatment sessions.

RESULTS

Both MST and ECT improved the patients' depressive symptoms significantly, yet no significant difference was found between the two groups (p > .05). The response rates and remission rates of MST and ECT were 72.2% versus 81.5% and 61.1% versus 63.0%, respectively. The MST group showed significant improvements in immediate memory (p < .001), delayed memory (p = .002), and attention (p < .001) than ECT. The recovery times for consciousness (p < .001), spontaneous breathing (p < .001), and orientation (p < .001) were shorter in MST group than ECT group. RBANS improvements were negatively correlated with the recovery time for orientation (r = .561, p < .001).

CONCLUSION

Magnetic seizure therapy showed similar efficacy to bifrontal ECT for treating depressive episodes. While MST may be an effective alternative to ECT, larger randomized trials are needed.