Purpose

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is a treatment for severe depression in which an electrical stimulator is applied to a person's head to create a seizure. ECT is highly effective, but can have adverse cognitive effects. Magnetic Seizure Therapy (MST) is a new kind of convulsive therapy that uses a magnetic stimulator instead of an electrical stimulator to produce a seizure. The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy and side effects of ECT and MST.

Type of Study: Clinical Trial
Setting of Study: both
Clinical Trials.gov number: NCT00488748
Providing Clinical Treatment?: No
No Cost Treatment?: Yes

Study Activities

Filling Out Forms
Computer Tasks
Blood Samples
Psychophysiology measurements
Provides Payment: Reimbursement for transportation
Provides Payment: Compensation for study related procedures

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study: 18 Years - 90 Years
Genders Eligible for Study: Both
This study is not recruiting Healthy Volunteers.

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:
1. Age 18-90
2. Clinical diagnosis of major depressive episode, in the context of unipolar or bipolar disorder
3. Use of effective method of birth control for women of child-bearing capacity
4. Willing and capable to provide informed consent
5. Convulsive therapy clinically indicated
6. Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD24)? 20

Links
National Institute of Mental Health - Depression

Location: 
Clinic: Novel Treatments for Depression Service
Division: Other

Study chairs or principal investigators:
Sarah Hollingsworth Lisanby MD, Principal Investigator

Co-investigators:
,