Of the five studies that did produce some significant findings, two invalidated their work, in terms of any lasting benefits, by giving real ECT to the SECT group after the first (Freeman et al., 1978) or third week (West, 1981). What these two studies can reasonably claim is that the ECT group improved faster than the SECT group (which also improved) early in the treatment, at least on some measures. In the Freeman et al. study there were no differences on the Beck Depression Inventory (in this study the raters were blind to group membership but the doctor giving the ECTs and SECTs, who obviously was not blind, was the lead researcher).