[The effect of electromagnetic stimulation on the depressive syndrome]

The authors describe the antidepressive effect of stimulation by static electromagnetical field of low induction, its value being 12.5 mT. They document the occurrence of the antidepressive effect by the results of their study on three groups of patients with the depressive syndrome, who were hospitalized in a mental hospital. 45 patients of the first group were subdued to a single stimulation of static electromagnetical field of 12.5 mT induction value, in the time schedule of 3x3 minutes with one minute breaks between the periods of electromagnetical stimulation. In 55% of them, the antidepressive effect has been observed, although of short duration. The experiments in the second group were arranged as being double blind. Patients in the stimulated group reacted by positive antidepressive effect more often than in the placebo group; the level of significance was 5%. In the third group of 19 patients, the stimulation was applied repeatedly. There was no evidence of confirmation of the assumption that repetition of stimulation could possibly stabilize and prolong its antidepressive effect, particularly by applying our used induction values. In spite of these facts it is possible to assume that in future the described antidepressive effect, after finding the appropriate manner, will be of use in therapeutical practice. (Tab. 4, Fig. 1, Ref. 7.)