A systematic review and meta-analysis of the preclinical and clinical results of low-field magnetic stimulation in cognitive disorders

Abstract

Cognitive disorders such as major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder severely compromise brain function and neuronal activity. Treatments to restore cognitive abilities can have severe side effects due to their intense and excitatory nature, in addition to the fact that they are expensive and invasive. Low-field magnetic stimulation (LFMS) is a novel non-invasive proposed treatment for cognitive disorders. It repairs issues in the brain by altering deep cortical areas with treatments of low-intensity magnetic stimulation. This paper aims to summarize the current literature on the effects and results of LFMS in cognitive disorders. We developed a search strategy to identify relevant studies utilizing LFMS and systematically searched eight scientific databases. Our review suggests that LFMS could be a viable and effective treatment for multiple cognitive disorders, especially major depressive disorder. Additionally, longer, more frequent, and more personalized LFMS treatments tend to be more efficacious.

Keywords: bipolar disorder; low-field magnetic stimulation; major depressive disorder; non-invasive; novel therapy.