Shock jocks
It's not a new idea to treat depression through electromagnetic stimulation. Doctors still occasionally use a controversial technique called electroconvulsive shock therapy (ECT), developed in the 1930s, to treat severe depression. In ECT a strong jolt of electricity is applied directly to the scalp - under general anaesthetic, otherwise it would be too painful.
No-one knows exactly how ECT works, but recently scientists have found ways to mimic its benefits painlessly using a magnetic pulse.
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Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was designed to 'shock' a patient out of a severe mental disorder. The machine shown above was manufactured around 1960.
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