The Effect of Electroconvulsive and Magnetic Seizure Therapy (MST) on Cortical Thickness in Schizophrenia

Identifying ways to conduct brain stimulation that match the clinical efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) without the side effects of ECT is an important goal in schizophrenia (SCS). Magnetic seizure therapy (MST) is a potential alternative, which has shown considerable efficacy but with mild cognitive impairment. This study compared the clinical efficacy and cognitive side effects of ECT and MST. In addition, we also investigated the possible contribution of cortical thickness changes to treatment response. Thirty-four confirmed schizophrenia patients were randomly treated with ECT (n = 16) or MST (n = 18) for 4 weeks. Mental symptoms were measured through PANSS, cognition was measured through the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), and changes in cortical thickness before and after treatment were compared using FreeSurfer. Both treatments reduced the PANSS score and had comparable efficacy, while MST was superior in preserving the RBANS language score. In this study, neither the MST group nor the ECT group showed significant changes in cortical thickness after treatment. MST, like ECT, effectively alleviates symptoms of schizophrenia but retains cognitive function slightly better. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02746965.