[Electroconvulsive treatment and new techniques of electrical and magnetic stimulation in treatment of depression--question of placebo and warranting of blind conditions, as well as other methodological problems].

Testing new therapeutic methods requires the confirmation so their efficacy, application and their safety. So that the specific and subjective factors do not influence the evaluation, it is necessary to assure suitable conditions--enclosing carrying out of the investigations in control to placebo and providing blinding conditions. In the case of pharmacological investigations it is possible and necessary to fulfill the most raw investigation criteria. Examinations of physical methods meet essential obstacles by granting of these criteria. The paper describes these impediments and methodological difficulties which accompany investigations on the following techniques: electroconvulsive treatment ECT, nerve vagus stimulation NVS, magnetic seizure therapy MST/magnetoconvulsive therapy MCT, the deep brain stimulation DBS and trancranial direct current stimulation tDCS.