ResultsPatient flow, sample charact

ResultsPatient flow, sample characteristics, and follow-upOf the 140 patients consented and screened for eligibility, 24 did not meet inclusion criteria, 6 declined participation, 2 did not receive treatment due to a device malfunction, 15 withdrew from the study, and 7 were discontinued prior to completing an adequate MST course. Thus, the primary analysis included 86 patients with MDD who completed a minimally adequate MST course (i.e., at least 8 sessions). There were 47 patients who were protocol completers (see CONSORT Diagram). The patients’ baseline demographic and clinical characteristics are summarized in Table 2. A one-way ANOVA revealed no significant differences between the three frequency groups on age, baseline HRSD score, years of education, number of previous depressive episodes, duration of the current episode, and age at onset of depressive illness. Chi-square analyses revealed a significant difference between the moderate and high-frequency group on number of individuals endorsing a recurrent episode of depression, with a significantly higher proportion in the high-frequency group. No other significant differences were found.