title: Magnetic seizure therapy of treatment-resistant depression in a patient with bipolar disorder.
abstract: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a highly efficacious treatment for severe depression. However, a disadvantage of ECT is the risk of cognitive side effects. Magnetic seizure therapy (MST) is a novel treatment modality, by which therapeutic seizures are induced using rapidly alternating strong magnetic fields. In this case study, we report on successful MST treatment of an episode of otherwise treatment-resistant depression in a patient with bipolar I disorder. Compared with published ECT results, MST seizures in this case report were of shorter duration, lower ictal electroencephalogram amplitude, and less pronounced postictal suppression. Furthermore, the patient did not experience subjective side effects and particularly recovered time to full orientation more quickly with MST than what has been previously described for ECT. Taken together, these results suggest that MST, compared with ECT, might have antidepressant effects and may have fewer clinical side effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kayser
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bewernick
authors.forename: Nikolai
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Axmacher
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Schlaepfer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012640:Seizures / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D018692:Antimanic Agents