Home-based low-field magnetic stimulation as an adjunctive treatment for bipolar depression: A randomized double-blind study

First published online May 26, 2026. Home treatment was feasible and self-rated symptoms favored active stimulation at weeks 4 and 6, but the clinician-rated primary depression outcome did not differ from sham.

Wu J, Li Y, Zou Y, Zhu X, Li X, Liu J, Xiao L.
Journal of Affective Disorders · Publication date: 2026-05-26
Added to site: 2026-10-17
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2026.122030

First published online May 26, 2026; collected in the October 15, 2026 issue feed. Historical addition.

Modalities

PEMF, Personalized stimulation

Clinical focus

Bipolar depression, Home-based care, Mood symptoms

Population

Adults with a current ICD-10 bipolar depressive episode receiving stable lithium

Sample

60 randomized 1:1; full-analysis set included 51 participants

Intervention / method

Participants used chip-card-blinded active or sham low-field magnetic stimulation at home twice daily for two weeks, totaling 28 sessions, with follow-up through week 6.

Comparator

Active adjunctive low-field magnetic stimulation versus sham, both with stable lithium

Clinician summary

HAMD-17 change did not differ between groups at any timepoint; at week 6 the difference was -0.27 points (95% CI -1.93 to 1.39; p=0.7427). QIDS-SR16 favored active LFMS at weeks 4 and 6 by 1.79 and 1.83 points, respectively. One mood switch occurred in each group, and the abstract reported no severe treatment-related adverse events.

How to interpret the findings

Small short trial, 51-person analysis set, baseline anxiety imbalance, primary clinician-rated endpoint null, and favorable secondary self-report findings that need replication. The checked abstract did not provide complete funding, protocol-deviation or multiplicity detail.

Equipment and disclosures

The abstract describes a chip-card-blinded home LFMS device but does not identify a verified manufacturer. No BrainMaster attribution.

The authors declared no competing financial or personal interests. Funding was not available in the checked abstract. No indexed correction, retraction or concern notice appeared in the retained PubMed or Crossref records; this is a bounded check. AI-assisted review.

Related evidence

Compare findings from the same clinical area, including mixed results.

• Cerebellar Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation for Insomnia Disorder: A Randomized Sham‐Controlled Trial · Positive with limitations
• Use of neurostimulation in patients with treatment-resistant depression: current options and future directions. · Positive with limitations