Effects of Chaihu Guizhi Ganjiang Decoction (CGGD) Combined with Cognitive Behavioral Intervention on Cognitive Behavior and Depressive State in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder After Modified Electroconvulsive Therapy

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mental disease characterized by depressed mood, anhedonia, and lack of energy. Modified electroconvulsive therapy (MECT) can effectively alleviate depression. However, it has been reported that MECT may cause cognitive impairments. Therefore, it is imperative to explore a new treatment approach with high efficacy in alleviating depressive symptoms and ensuring safety. In this study, we investigate the clinical efficacy of Chaihu Guizhi Ganjiang Decoction (CGGD) combined with cognitive behavioral intervention in patients with MDD after MECT and elucidate the therapeutic mechanism of CGGD in treating MDD. A total of 90 patients with MDD who underwent MECT at our hospital from 2021.01 to 2023.01 were included and randomly divided into 2 groups: a regular group received cognitive behavioral intervention and a coalition group received cognitive behavioral intervention combined with CGGD. A comparative analysis was performed on the clinical efficacy, cognitive function, and depressive state between the two groups. We observed that the coalition group exhibited a significantly higher total effective rate (93.33%) compared to the regular group (73.3%). After the intervention, the HAMD scores in the coalition group were lower than those in the regular group. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that compared to the regular group, the coalition group showed higher numbers of total tests and correct responses and lower numbers of wrong responses and persistent errors. In conclusion, these findings suggest that the combined treatment can effectively enhance antidepressant effects and improve cognitive function in patients with MDD after MECT.