A “valuable contribution”
Commenting on the findings for Medscape Medical News, Manish K. Jha, MD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, said there is an urgent need to develop safe and effective treatment for patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
“The Sequenced Treatment Alternative to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) trial showed that after inadequate improvement with two antidepressants, the likelihood of improvement with a third or fourth antidepressant trial was very low. Therefore, we need effective treatment for TRD,” noted Jha, who was not involved in the research.
The current study represents a “valuable contribution, as it shows improvement in suicidal ideation with magnetic seizure therapy,” he added.
The study’s findings suggest that MST may offer a “viable new treatment” for patients with TRD. He added that the upcoming results of an ongoing clinical trial testing MST against ECT are of “great interest to the field.”
Although the findings are compelling, Jha also noted the study had several limitations, include a relatively “modest” sample size and no sham or active comparator.
In addition, he said, the level of suicidality in this study was limited because of eligibility restrictions, such as exclusion of individuals who had attempted suicide in the prior 6 months.
“While authors use a broad term of ‘suicidality,’ their study is focused on suicidal ideation. Future studies that target suicide behavior are urgently needed. This may mean that we need to study individuals with recent suicide attempts in settings such as emergency rooms and inpatient units,” said Jha.
The study had no specific funding. Weissman has disclosed no relevant financial relationships. Several other study authors reported relationships with industry. The full list can be found with the original article. Jha has received contract research grants from Acadia Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Research & Development, and honoraria for CME presentations from North American Center for Continuing Medical Education and Global Medical Education.
This article first appeared on Medscape.com.