METRAZOL AND ELECTRIC CONVULSIVE THERAPY OF THE AFFECTIVE PSYCHOSES

Abstract

The longer follow-up period and the larger number of patients warrant our present attempt to deal with some of the controversial aspects of convulsive shock therapy not adequately met by earlier studies. MATERIAL AND PROCEDURE The procedure is essentially similar to that employed in our first two studies. 1 A comparison is made of the results obtained with treated and with untreated patients with affective psychoses who were seen in private practice in the five years between July 1, 1938 and July 1, 1943. Of a total of 278 such patients, 81 were excluded because of incomplete or complicating data. Follow-up observations were conducted from December 1943 to March 1944, by means of telephone, letter or personal interview. The follow-up period ranged from six to sixty-nine months, with an average of forty months. Of the 88 patients treated, the first 58 received metrazol and the other 30 were given electric