title: Challenges in comparing the acute cognitive outcomes of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) vs. electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in major depression: A systematic review.
abstract: The present study aimed to systematically compare the cognitive outcomes of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in head-to-head studies with major depression (MDD) patients. A systematic literature search identified six studies with 219 MDD patients that were too heterogeneous to reliably detect meaningful differences in acute cognitive outcomes after ECT vs. HF-rTMS. Cognitive effects of brain stimulation vary depending on the timeframe and methods of assessment, stimulation parameters, and maintenance treatment. Thus, acute and longer-term differences in cognitive outcomes both need to be investigated at precisely defined timeframes and with similar instruments assessing comparable functions.
authors.affiliation: University of Bremen, Germany. Electronic address: kkedzior@graduate.uwa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Karina Karolina
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Kedzior
authors.affiliation: University of Limerick, Ireland.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schuchinsky
authors.affiliation: University of Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Imke
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gerkensmeier
authors.affiliation: University of New South Wales, Black Dog Institute, St. George Hospital, Australia.
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Loo
mesh_terms: D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Cognition; Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT); High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS); Major depressive disorder (MDD)