Research
rTMS vs ECT in Depressed Patients

Investigator: Philip Janicak, M.D.

There is promising evidence that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an effective somatic treatment for major depression. In contrast to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), it has minimal effects on memory, does not require general anesthesia, and produces its effects without a generalized seizure. Until now, ECT has been the most effective treatment for serious and life-threatening depressions. Although ECT has been found to be safe in older and sicker patients than medications, there are still the rare (1 in 10,000 patients per treatment course) death, and occasionally serious complications related to seizure activity and anesthesia. The option of multiple inpatient drug trials is no longer a possibility for many patients with severe life-threatening depression since most insurance programs limit coverage. Thus, there is a critical need to develop therapies with comparable efficacy to ECT but with increased safety and a more favorable cost-effectiveness ratio.