Table A4:
GRADE Evidence Profile for the Comparison of rTMS and ECT
| No. of Studies (Design) | Risk of Bias | Inconsistencya | Indirectness | Imprecision | Publication Bias | Upgrade Considerations | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change in Depression Scores | |||||||
| 4 (RCTs) | Serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | NA | ⊕⊕⊕ Moderate |
| Remission Rate | |||||||
| 3 (RCTs) | Serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | NA | ⊕⊕⊕ Moderate |
| Response Rate | |||||||
| 3 (RCTs) | Serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | No serious limitations | NA | ⊕⊕⊕ Moderate |
Abbreviations: ECT, electroconvulsive therapy; GRADE, Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation; NA, not applicable; RCT, randomized controlled trial; rTMS, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.
a
Heterogeneity in results was mostly due to different applications of ECT among studies.