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Updated: Jun 29, 2025
Author Spotlight: Therapeutic Benefit of Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation in Depression Treatment
Published on: July 7, 2023
Extremely Low Frequency, Extremely Low Magnetic Environment for depression: An open-label trial
Masako Tachibana1, Toshiya Inada2, Hiroki Kimura2
1Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Hospital, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
Extremely Low Frequency, Extremely Low Magnetic Environment (ELF-ELME) therapy significantly reduced depression symptoms in a small trial. This novel approach shows promise as a safe and effective alternative or adjunctive treatment for major depressive disorder.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biophysics
Background:
- Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in depression.
- Basic research suggests ELF-ELME may enhance mitochondrial function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of ELF-ELME in alleviating depression symptoms.
- To assess the safety of ELF-ELME for treating major depressive disorder.
Main Methods:
- A clinical trial involving four male patients with treatment-resistant depression.
- Daily 2-hour exposure to ELF-ELME (10 μTesla, 4 ms, 1-8 Hz/8 s) for 8 weeks using a head-mounted device.
Main Results:
- Significant reductions in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores were observed at 4, 6, and 8 weeks.
- ELF-ELME treatment was found to be safe and effective in this cohort.
Conclusions:
- ELF-ELME may be a viable alternative treatment for patients who prefer non-pharmacological options.
- ELF-ELME could be a useful add-on therapy for individuals with partial response to antidepressants.
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