Depression treatments such as medications, electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation take a long time to show results. A new research suggests that low-field magnetic stimulation works effectively and gives faster positive outcome.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Weill Cornell Medical College explain that LFMS has rapid mood-elevating effects.
Researchers stumbled upon the positive effects while performing an imaging study on healthy volunteers. Following their discovery, lead study author Dr Michael Rohan along with his colleagues conducted a preliminary study that showed the imaging parameters that possibly caused the anti-depressant effect.
"LFMS is unlike any current treatment. It uses magnetic fields that are a fraction of the strength but at higher frequency than the electromagnetic fields used in TMS and ECT," Dr Rohan said in a press release.
For the study, the research team recruited 63 people diagnosed with either major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder. Participants randomly received a single 20-minute treatment of real LFMS or sham LFMS.
The results of the study showed that the LFMS has the potential to provide immediate relief to depressed mood, possibly even in emergency situations.
"The idea that weak electrical stimulation of the brain could produce beneficial effects on depression symptoms is somewhat surprising," said Dr. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry. "Yet the data make a compelling case that this safe approach deserves further study."
Dr Rohan said they will conduct additional research to find the best parameters for LFMS use in the clinical treatment of depression. More research is also required to assess the effects of multiple compared to single treatments, and how long the antidepressant effects last following treatment.
The findings of the study have been published in the current issue of Biological Psychiatry.
