What is it about?
Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. We recruited patients with major depressive disorder who had not responded to antidepressant medication, to test the antidepressant efficacy of a novel treatment called Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy compared to sham treatment. The active protocol was more effective than sham treatment. After the 5-day active treatment, 79% of patients no longer met clinical criteria for depression compared to only 13% in the sham group. Our accelerated, high-dose neuromodulation protocol appears more effective than existing treatments in this population; however, head-to-head trials with other treatments are needed. The short 5-day duration and high antidepressant efficacy of this treatment means that it could be a particularly valuable treatment for patients in hospital settings where fast, effective treatments are needed.