Magnetic Seizure Therapy Shows Efficacy and Safety Comparable to Electroconvulsive Therapy for Depression
A landmark randomized, double-blind, non-inferiority trial conducted between 2018 and 2024 by researchers at CAMH and UC San Diego found that MST is as effective as ECT for severe, treatment-resistant depression, with nearly 48% of patients in both treatment groups experiencing meaningful clinical response1
MST uses magnetic stimulation to induce a therapeutic seizure in a more targeted way that avoids areas of the brain associated with memory, resulting in substantially better cognitive safety compared to ECT1
The trial enrolled nearly 300 participants across three academic centers:
CAMH in Toronto, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and UC San Diego1
ECT is known to cause cognitive side effects including post-treatment confusion and both short- and long-term memory loss, which has limited its use despite being highly effective1
The study was published in The Lancet Psychiatry and represents the first large-scale, randomized clinical trial to directly compare MST with ECT1
Up to one-third of people with major depressive disorder do not respond to standard treatments such as medications and psychotherapy1
Researchers emphasize that further work is needed to support regulatory approval, training, and implementation before MST becomes a standard clinical option1