Table 5. Randomized trials contrasting rTMS and ECT in major depression: therapeutic effects and effects size.
| Study | Treatment groups |
Design | n | Depression type |
Percent change in HRSD |
s.d | Effect (d) |
lower | Upper | Group different in p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grunhaus et al (2000) | LDLPFC rTMS | Open and randomized | 20 | MDD(11 psychotic) | 40.3 | na | 0.54 | –0.11 | 1.19 | 0.09 |
| 12 RUL ECT only; 8 RUL and BL ECT | 20 | MDD(10 psychotic) | 60.6 | na | ||||||
| Pridmore et al. (2000) | LDLPFC rTMS | Single-masked eaters and randomized | 16 | 11 MDD 5 BPD | 55.6 | 30.2 | 0.33 | –0.40 | 1.06 | 0.40 |
| RUL ECT | 16 | 15 MDD 1BPD | 66.4 | 33.6 | ||||||
| Grunhaus et al. (unpubl.obs) | LDLPFC rTMS | Single-masked raters and randomized | 20 | MDD(non-psychotic) | 45.5 | na | 0.04 | –0.06 | 0.68 | 0.10 |
| 13 RUL ECT only;7 RUL and BL ECT | 20 | MDD(non-psychotic) | 48.2 | na |
LDLPFC, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; RUL, right unilateral ECT; BL, bilateral ECT; MMD, major depressive disorder; BPD, bipolar depressed; Effect (d), effect size of difference between ECT and rTMS groups. Lower and Upper are estimates of lower and upper 95% confidence intervals for the effect size.
Burt T, Lisanby SH, Sackeim HA. Neuropsychiatric applications of transcranial magnetic stimulation: a meta analysis. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology 2002; 5(1):73-103; Subject to the copyright notice provided by Cambridge University Press, Reprinted with the permission of Cambridge University Press and the author (9)