Acute Electroconvulsive Therapy Research Articles

Clinical Effectiveness and Tolerability of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Patients with Neuropsychiatric Symptoms of Dementia.

Dementia frequently presents with aggression, agitation, and disorganized behavior for which current treatment is partially effective and is associated with significant adverse effects. The aim of this study was to retrospectively assess the clinical effectiveness and tolerability of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in a sample of patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia (NPS) and to explore factors associated with response and with cognitive adverse effects. We examined the clinical records of 25 patients with dementia and a pre-existing psychiatric disorder treated with ECT at an academic mental health hospital between April 1, 2010 and January 28, 2016. Twenty-nine acute ECT courses and fifteen maintenance courses were reviewed. We assessed treatment effectiveness and cognitive adverse effects as well as factors associated with response to treatment, including pre-existing psychiatric disorders, concomitant pharmacological treatment and types of dementia. ECT resulted in a clinically meaningful response in 72% of acute treatment courses. Cognitive adverse effects affecting functioning were reported in 7% of the acute treatment courses. Maintenance treatment was effective in sustaining the response in 87% of treatment courses with two reports of significant cognitive adverse effects. One patient fell and experienced a hip fracture a day after treatment. Use of antipsychotic or antidepressant medications, pre-existing psychiatric disorder, or gender were not associated with response. This study shows meaningful clinical effectiveness and good tolerability of ECT in patients with severe NPS of dementia. Furthermore, maintenance ECT was effective in sustaining treatment response.

The Relationship Between Cortical Inhibition and Electroconvulsive Therapy in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder.

Dysfunctional cortical inhibition (CI) is postulated as a key neurophysiological mechanism in major depressive disorder. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the treatment of choice for resistant depression and ECT has been associated with enhanced CI. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between CI and ECT response in resistant depression. Twenty-five patients with treatment resistant depression underwent an acute course of ECT. CI was indexed by the cortical silent period (CSP) and short-interval cortical inhibition (SICI), through TMS-EMG. CI and clinical response was measured prior to beginning an acute ECT course and within 48 hours of the last ECT treatment in the course. Clinical response to ECT was assessed by HDRS-17 before and after an acute course of ECT. We found that there was a significant difference in CSP at baseline between responder and non-responder groups (p = 0.044). Baseline CSP predicted therapeutic response to ECT with sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 60%. There were no changes in CSP or SICI after administration of the ECT course. Our findings suggest that duration of pre-treatment CSP may be a useful predictor of therapeutic response to ECT in patients with TRD.

Effects of a right unilateral ultrabrief pulse electroconvulsive therapy course on health related quality of life in elderly depressed patients

IntroductionPatients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) referred for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) have poorer Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL), compared with other patients with MDD, but ECT is associated with significant and durable improvement in HRQOL. However, no prior research has focused exclusively on elderly patients with MDD receiving ECT. MethodsHRQOL data from 240 depressed patients over the age of 60 was measured with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36). The SF-36 was measured before and after a course of acute ECT. Predictors of change in HRQOL scores were identified by generalized linear modeling. ResultsAt baseline, participants showed very poor HRQOL. After treatment with ECT, the full sample showed marked and significant improvement across all SF-36 measures, with the largest gains seen in dimensions of mental health. Across all participants, the Physical Component Summary (PCS) score improved by 2.1 standardized points (95% CI, 0.61,3.56), while the Mental Component Summary (MCS) score improved by 12.5 points (95% CI, 7.2,10.8) Compared with non-remitters, remitters showed a trend toward greater improvement in the PCS summary score of 2.7 points (95%CI, −0.45, 5.9), while the improvement in the MCS summary score was significantly greater (8.5 points, 95% CI, 4.6,12.3) in the remitters than non-remitters. Post-ECT SF-36 measurements were consistently and positively related to baseline scores and remitter/non-remitter status or change in depression severity from baseline. Objective measures of cognitive function had no significant relationships to changes in SF-36 scores. LimitationsThis study's limitations include that it was an open label study with no comparison group, and generalizability is limited to elderly patients. DiscussionECT providers and elderly patients with MDD treated with ECT can be confident that ECT will result in improved HRQOL in the short-term. Attaining remission is a key factor in the improvement of HRQOL. Acute changes in select cognitive functions were outweighed by improvement in depressive symptoms in determining the short term HRQOL of the participants treated with ECT.

Factors associated with relapse after a response to electroconvulsive therapy in unipolar versus bipolar depression

BackgroundWhile electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatment for depression is highly effective, the high rate of relapse is a critical problem. The current study investigated factors associated with the risk of relapse in mood disorders in patients in which ECT was initially effective. MethodThe records of 100 patients with mood disorders (61 unipolar depression, 39 bipolar depression) who received and responded to an acute ECT course were retrospectively reviewed. Associations between clinical variables and relapse after responding to acute ECT were analyzed. The Ethics Committee of NHO Kure Medical Center approved the study protocol. ResultsAfter one year, the percentage of relapse-free patients was 48.7%. There was no significant difference between patients with either unipolar or bipolar depression who were relapse-free (unipolar: 51.1%, bipolar: 45.5%, P=0.603). Valproate maintenance pharmacotherapy in unipolar depression patients was associated with a lower risk of relapse compared to patients without valproate treatment (multivariate analysis, hazard ratio: 0.091; P=0.022). Lithium treatment, reportedly effective for unipolar depression following a course of ECT, tended to lower the risk of relapse (hazard ratio: 0.378; P=0.060). For bipolar depression, no treatment significantly reduced the risk of relapse. LimitationsThe current findings were retrospective and based on a limited sample size. ConclusionsThe relapse-free rate was similar between unipolar and bipolar depression. Valproate could have potential for unipolar depression patients as a maintenance therapeutic in preventing relapse after ECT.

Comparison of Clinical Characteristics of Patients on whom Electroconvulsive Therapy was Applied as Inpatient and Outpatient

Objective: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an efficient and reliable somatic treatment used to treat severe mental disorders. ECT procedure is generally performed by hospitalizing the patient in our country (Turkey). However, there is no obligation to perform ECT by hospitalization, as ECT may be performed without hospitalizing the patient. Outpatient ECT gradually increases during acute and maintenance treatment. Outpatient ECT provides some advantages, such as reduced disruption in social and professional functionality and decrease in treatment costs. Studies that compare acute outpatient ECT and ECT applied after hospitalization are limited. In the present study, we aimed to review clinical characteristics of acute ambulatory ECT and ECT applied by hospitalization comprehensively and retrospectively. Methods: Inpatients and outpatients that received ECT in the Psychiatry Clinic of Dicle University between 2011 and 2014 were enrolled in the present study. Patients’ files between aforementioned years were reviewed retrospectively and data including patient age, gender, diagnosis according to DSM system, hospitalization period, whether ECT was applied, number of ECT sessions, and whether ECT was performed as an inpatient or outpatient procedure were recorded. For the patients who were hospitalized multiple times, each hospitalization was regarded as a different patient and data were assessed independently. For the outpatients who received ECT, all separate ECT sessions were added and ECT count was determined. Those who received maintenance ECT sessions were not included in the outpatient ECT group. Patients who received ECT by acute referral as outpatients were included in this group. Results: Between 2011 and 2014, 904 patients were admitted to the Psychiatry Clinic of Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine , of which 138 received ECT treatment. We also included in the study an additional 38 outpatients who received acute ECT. Inpatients of our clinic in application to ECT were rates of 15.3%. There was no statistically significant difference detected between age, number of ECT sessions applied, diagnosis, and gender of admitted inpatients and outpatients (p>0.05). Conclusions: In our study clinical characteristics of inpatients and outpatients subjects who admitted in order to practiced the ECT were determined to be similar. We believe that an efficient treatment method may be presented to the patients by including acute outpatient ECT more frequently in the treatment plan from physicians.

The Clinical and Service Outcomes of Unilateral and Bilateral ECT Electrode Placements in Australian Aged Psychiatry Services

The aim of the study was to determine whether depressed aged inpatients treated with brief pulse unilateral electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) differed from those treated with bilateral (bitemporal or bifrontal) ECT with respect to numbers of treatments, length of hospital admission, changes in scores on depression and cognitive scales, and serious adverse effects. An audit of routinely collected data regarding 221 acute ECT courses in 7 public aged psychiatry services in Victoria, Australia. Patients given unilateral, bifrontal, and bitemporal treatments were similar with respect to personal, clinical, and treatment characteristics. Most treatments were administered in line with local clinical guidelines and were rated as effective. Psychiatrists preferred unilateral ECT in the first instance with stimulus dosing based on patients' seizure thresholds. Approximately a quarter of unilateral courses were switched later to bitemporal placement, most probably because of insufficient progress. Bilateral treatments were associated with a larger number of treatments, less improvement in scores on mood and cognitive scales, and more refusals to continue treatment than unilateral-only ECT. Brief pulse unilateral ECT proved more effective than bitemporal and bifrontal ECT for most aged patients, especially when coupled with stimulus dosing based on seizure threshold.

Practice of Acute and Maintenance Electroconvulsive Therapy in the Psychiatric Clinic of a University Hospital from Turkey: between 2007 and 2013.

ObjectiveElectroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can be given as the form of acute, continuation or maintenance ECT according to the process of administration. We report our 7 years’ observation with acute and maintenance ECT in a university hospital in Turkey.MethodsThe medical records of the hospitalized patients treated with acute or maintenance ECT between the years 2007 and 2013 was retrospectively analyzed. The sociodemographic characteristics, diagnosis, data of ECT and the co-administered psychotropic drugs were recorded. The frequency of ECT was calculated by identifying the total number of the hospitalized patients during the study period from the hospital records.ResultsA total number of 1,432 female and 1,141 male patients hospitalized in a period of 7 years, with a total number of 111 patients treated with ECT. The ratio of ECT was 4%, maintenance/acute ECT 11%. For acute ECT, affective disorders (65.3%) and psychotic disorders (21.6%) were among the leading diagnoses. Maintenance ECT, the diagnosis was; 6 affective disorders, 4 psychotic disorders and 1 obsessive compulsive disorder. There was a significant difference between the patients receiving acute and maintenance ECT in terms of age, duration of illness, and number of previous hospitalizations and ECTs.ConclusionThe percentage of patients treated with acute ECT is lower in our institution than that in many other institutions from our country. Acute and maintenance ECT should be considered as an important treatment option particularly for patients with long disease duration, a high number of hospitalizations and a history of benefiting from previous ECTs.

Electroconvulsive therapy increases temporal gray matter volume and cortical thickness

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a treatment of choice for severe and therapy resistant forms of major depressive episodes (MDE). Temporal brain volume alterations in MDE have been described for more than two decades.In our prospective study we aimed to investigate individual pre–post ECT treatment whole brain gray matter (GM) volume changes (quantified with voxel-based morphometry) in a sample of 18 patients with MDE. In addition, we studied the effect of ECT on voxel-based cortical thickness in cortical brain regions.The most prominent longitudinal GM increases (significant at a whole brain corrected level) occurred in temporal lobe regions. Within specific region of interest analyses we detected highly significant increases of GM in the hippocampus and the amygdala and to a lesser extent in the habenula (left p=0.003, right p=0.032). A voxel based cortical thickness analysis revealed an increase in cortical temporal regions (basically temporal pole and insula) further corroborating our cortical voxel-based morphometry results.Neither GM decreases or white matter increases nor correlations of GM changes with basic psychopathological parameters were detected.We corroborate earlier findings of hippocampal and amygdala GM volume increase following an acute ECT series in patients with MDE. Temporal GM volume increase was significant on a whole brain level and further corroborated by a cortical thickness analysis. Our data widely exclude white matter loss as an indirect cause of GM growth. Our data add further evidence to the hypothesis that ECT enables plasticity falsifying older ideas of ECT induced “brain damaging”.

The acute and medium-term effects of treatment with electroconvulsive therapy on memory in patients with major depressive disorder

Current literature provides insufficient information on the degree of cognitive impairment during and after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), mostly due to the fact that applied tests lacked sensitivity and flexibility. Our goal was to evaluate cognitive functioning in adult depressed patients treated with bi-temporal ECT, using tests sensitive for detection of possible acute and medium-term memory changes. Thirty adult patients with major depressive disorder, treated with a course of bi-temporal ECT, underwent clinical and cognitive measurements three times: at baseline, immediately after a course of ECT, and 1 month later. For cognition assessment, we used learning and visual, spatial and figural memory tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Bi-temporal ECT has proven to be an effective treatment. The linear mixed model, used to analyze changes in depression severity and patients' cognitive performances over time and to assess dynamic correlations between aforementioned features, did not show any significant memory impairment as a potential acute or medium-term ECT effect. However, it yielded significant improvement on visual memory and learning at the follow-up, which positively correlated with the improvement of depression. Good progress is being made in the search for ECT-related acute and medium-term cognitive side-effects by using the tests sensitive to detect memory dysfunction with parallel forms of the tasks (to counter practice effects on repeat testing). Our results on learning and memory in relation to ECT during treatment of depression did not bring forth any prolonged and significant bi-temporal ECT-related memory deficit.

Acute electroconvulsive therapy followed by maintenance electroconvulsive therapy decreases hospital re-admission rates of older patients with severe mental illness.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a highly effective treatment for patients with severe mental illness (SMI). Maintenance ECT (M-ECT) is required for many elderly patients experiencing severe recurrent forms of mood disorders, whereas M-ECT for schizophrenia patients is a poorly studied treatment. We report on the outcomes in aged patients with SMI: schizophrenia and severe affective disorders treated by M-ECT of varying duration to prevent relapse after a successful course of acute ECT. The study measured the effectiveness of M-ECT in preventing hospital readmissions and reducing admission days. A retrospective chart review of 42 consecutive patients comparing the number and length of psychiatric admissions before and after the start of M-ECT was used. We analyzed diagnoses, previous ECT treatments, number of ECT treatments, and number and length of psychiatric admissions before and after M-ECT. Mean age in our sample was 71.5 (6.9) years. Twenty-two (52%) patients experienced severe affective disorders and 20 (48%) experienced schizophrenia. Patients were administered 92.8 (85.9) M-ECT treatments. Average duration of the M-ECT course was 34 (29.8) months. There were on average 1.88 admissions before M-ECT and only 0.38 admissions in the M-ECT period (P < 0.001). Duration of mean hospitalization stay decreased from 215.9 to 12.4 days during the M-ECT (P < 0.01). Our findings suggest that acute ECT followed by M-ECT is highly effective in selected elderly patients with SMIs.

Factors associated with the risk of relapse in schizophrenic patients after a response to electroconvulsive therapy: a retrospective study.

PurposeElectroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment for depression and schizophrenia. However, there is a high rate of relapse after an initial response to ECT, even with antidepressant or antipsychotic maintenance therapy. This study was carried out to examine the factors that influence the risk of relapse in schizophrenic patients after a response to ECT.Patients and methodsWe retrospectively reviewed the records of 43 patients with schizophrenia who received and responded to an acute ECT course. We analyzed the associated clinical variables and relapse after response to the acute ECT. Relapse was defined as a Clinical Global Impressions Improvement score ≥6 or a psychiatric rehospitalization.ResultsAll patients were treated with neuroleptic medication after the acute ECT course. The relapse-free rate of all 43 patients at 1 year was 57.3%, and the median relapse-free period was 21.5 months. Multivariate analysis showed that the number of ECT sessions was associated with a significant increase in the risk of relapse (hazard ratio: 1.159; P=0.033). Patients who were treated with adjunctive mood stabilizers as maintenance pharmacotherapy after the response to the acute ECT course were at a lower risk of relapse than were those treated without mood stabilizers (hazard ratio: 0.257; P=0.047).ConclusionOur study on the recurrence of schizophrenia after a response to an acute ECT course suggests that the number of ECT sessions might be related to the risk of relapse and that adjunctive mood stabilizers might be effective in preventing relapse.

Acute bilateral ECT in a depressed patient with a hip-aztreonam-spacer and subsequent maintenance ECT after prosthesis collocation.

ABSTRACT Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) has been demonstrated to be a safe and effective treatment for geriatric depression, although its application might be challenging when medical comorbidities exist. The present case reports a 78-year-old man diagnosed with recurrent unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD), who presented with a severe depressive episode with psychotic features (DSM IV). He successfully received a course of bitemporal (BT) ECT with a hip-aztreonam-spacer due to a hip fracture that occurred during hospitalization. This was followed by maintenance ECT (M-ECT) with a recent prosthesis collocation. This particular case illustrates the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in geriatric patients with somatic complications receiving ECT.

Evaluation of the efficacy of the continuation electroconvulsive therapy in treatment-resistant schizophrenia

Background : Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been reported being a safe and effective treatment in schizophrenia. However, there are a limited number of studies assessing continuation ECT utilization in patients with schizophrenia giving partial response to pharmacological treatment. Objective : The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of continuation ECT in preventing relapse in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Methods : In this retrospective analysis, schizophrenia patients (n = 73) were defined in three groups such as patients who received only AP treatment (only AP), patients who received acute ECT only during hospitalization (aECT+AP), patients who received acute ECT and continuation ECT (a-cECT+AP). Three groups were compared according to positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) scores. Results : As per comparison of only AP group, aECT+AP group and a+cECT+AP groups in terms of after discharge PANSS and after discharge BPRS scores for 1st month, 3rd month and 6th month; 3rd and 6th month’s PANSS scores of a+cECT+AP group were statistically significantly lower than other two groups. Discussion : Although this study suffers the limitations of retrospective medical chart analysis, results suggest that, in patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia who have responded to an acute course of ECT, continuation ECT in combination with antipsychotics is more effective than antipsychotics alone in preventing relapse.

Safety and utility of acute electroconvulsive therapy for agitation and aggression in dementia.

Agitation and aggression are among the most frequent and disruptive behavioral complications of dementia that contribute to increased cost of care, hospitalization, caregiver burden, and risk of premature institutionalization. This current study examined the safety and efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as a treatment for behavioral disturbances in dementia. We hypothesized that ECT would result in reduced agitated and aggressive behaviors between baseline and discharge. Twenty-three participants admitted to McLean Hospital (Belmont, MA, USA) and Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services (Grand Rapids, MI, USA), with a diagnosis of dementia who were referred for ECT to treat agitation and/or aggression, were enrolled in the study. We administered the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory-Short Form, Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home Version, Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, and the Clinical Global Impression Scale at baseline, during, and after the ECT course. Regression analyses revealed a significant decrease from baseline to discharge on the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (F(4,8) = 13.3; p = 0.006) and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (F(4,31) = 14.6; p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant change in scores on the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia. The Clinical Global Impression scores on average changed from a rating of "markedly agitated/aggressive" at baseline to "borderline agitated/aggressive" at discharge. Treatment with ECT was well tolerated by most participants; discontinuation of ECT occurred for two participants because of recurrence of agitation and for three participants because of adverse events. Electroconvulsive therapy may be a safe treatment option to reduce symptoms of agitation and aggression in patients with dementia whose behaviors are refractory to medication management.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy as Continuation Treatment to Sustain Response After Electroconvulsive Therapy in Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Although electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective acute antidepressant intervention, sustained response rates are low. It has never been systematically assessed whether psychotherapy, continuation ECT, or antidepressant medication is the most efficacious intervention to maintain initial treatment response. In a prospective, randomized clinical trial, 90 inpatients with major depressive disorder (MDD) were treated with right unilateral ultra-brief acute ECT. Electroconvulsive therapy responders received 6 months guideline-based antidepressant medication (MED) and were randomly assigned to add-on therapy with cognitive-behavioral group therapy (CBT-arm), add-on therapy with ultra-brief pulse continuation electroconvulsive therapy (ECT-arm), or no add-on therapy (MED-arm). After the 6 months of continuation treatment, patients were followed-up for another 6 months. The primary outcome parameter was the proportion of patients who remained well after 12 months. Of 90 MDD patients starting the acute phase, 70% responded and 47% remitted to acute ECT. After 6 months of continuation treatment, significant differences were observed in the three treatment arms with sustained response rates of 77% in the CBT-arm, 40% in the ECT-arm, and 44% in the MED-arm. After 12 months, these differences remained stable with sustained response rates of 65% in the CBT-arm, 28% in the ECT-arm, and 33% in the MED-arm. These results suggest that ultra-brief pulse ECT as a continuation treatment correlates with low sustained response rates. However, the main finding implicates cognitive-behavioral group therapy in combination with antidepressants might be an effective continuation treatment to sustain response after successful ECT in MDD patients.

Autobiographical and Subjective Memory With Right Unilateral High-Dose 0.3-millisecond Ultrabrief-Pulse and 1-millisecond Brief-Pulse Electroconvulsive Therapy

Shortening the pulse width to 0.3 millisecond holds neurophysiological and clinical promise of making electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) safer by reducing cognitive adverse effects. The exclusive effects of pulse width on autobiographical and subjective memory are largely unstudied. The aim was to principally investigate during the acute ECT course and at 3 months after ECT autobiographical and subjective memory effects of 0.3-millisecond ultrabrief and 1-millisecond brief-pulse ECT. Patient with severe depression were randomized to 1-millisecond brief-pulse (n = 20) or 0.3-millisecond ultrabrief-pulse (n = 20) right unilateral ECT, both at 6 times the threshold stimulus dose given thrice weekly. Autobiographical Memory Interview (Kopelman) and Squire Subjective Memory Questionnaire were administered at baseline, after 8 sessions, end of the acute course, and 3 months later. Early adult semantic memory worsened significantly over time with brief-pulse compared with ultrabrief ECT: F3,88 = 2.60, P = 0.05. There was a significant decline in brief-pulse treatment vis-à-vis a significant improvement with ultrabrief-pulse treatment with childhood semantic memory (P = 0.022), early adult semantic (P = 0.03), and recent semantic memory (P = 0.018) only at 24 hours after the eighth ECT treatment. Clinically meaningful and significant improvement in semantic autobiographical memory occurred in ultrabrief treatment vis-à-vis brief-pulse ECT after 8 treatments. Ultrabrief treatment offered a small but significant advantage over 1-millisecond brief-pulse high-dose right unilateral ECT with early adult semantic autobiographical memory, which persisted up to 3 months.

Transient Anosmia During Acute Phase Electroconvulsive Therapy

Treatment-resistant psychiatric illness poses a clinical challenge to psychiatrists in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Although electroconvulsive therapy is a relatively safe option for the treatment of these patients, initiation of this treatment requires a conscientious discussion of the risks and benefits of the procedure to obtain informed consent. The 2 cases presented here describe transient anosmia, a seldom reported but potentially significant adverse effect of electroconvulsive therapy.

Short-term efficacy for acute electroconvulsive therapy for agitation and aggression in dementia

Short-term efficacy for acute electroconvulsive therapy for agitation and aggression in dementia

Development of Central Diabetes Insipidus Following Electroconvulsive Therapy

The objective of this study was to examine the occurrence of laboratory abnormalities and symptoms of central diabetes insipidus (CDI) in patients receiving acute electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) series. We prospectively investigated adult psychiatric inpatients for objective and subjective evidence of CDI at baseline and after their sixth ECT. Although participants did not report any CDI symptoms, two thirds had clinically important decreases in urine osmolality (>200 mOsm/kg), and two thirds had serum sodium increases of 5 mmol/L following exposure to ECT. Our findings suggest that objective evidence of CDI can occur following the administration of ECT series, even in the absence of symptomatic complaints.

Pharmacological Strategies in the Prevention of Relapse After Electroconvulsive Therapy

To determine whether starting antidepressant medication at the start of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) reduces post-ECT relapse and to determine whether continuation pharmacotherapy with nortriptyline (NT) and lithium (Li) differs in efficacy or adverse effects from continuation pharmacotherapy with venlafaxine (VEN) and Li. During an acute ECT phase, 319 patients were randomized to treatment with moderate dosage bilateral ECT or high-dosage right unilateral ECT. They were also randomized to concurrent treatment with placebo, NT, or VEN. Of 181 patients to meet post-ECT remission criteria, 122 (67.4%) participated in a second continuation pharmacotherapy phase. Patients earlier randomized to NT or VEN continued on the antidepressant, whereas patients earlier randomized to placebo were now randomized to NT or VEN. Lithium was added for all patients who were followed until relapse or 6 months. Starting an antidepressant medication at the beginning of the ECT course did not affect the rate or timing of relapse relative to starting pharmacotherapy after ECT completion. The combination of NT and Li did not differ from VEN and Li in any relapse or adverse effect measure. Older age was strongly associated with lower relapse risk, whereas the type of ECT administered in the acute phase and medication resistance were not predictive. Across sites, 50% of the patients relapsed, 33.6% continued in remission 6 months after ECT, and 16.4% dropped out. Starting an antidepressant medication during ECT does not affect relapse, and there are concerns about administering Li during an acute ECT course. Nortriptyline and VEN were equally effective in prolonging remission, although relapse rates after ECT are substantial despite intensive pharmacology. As opposed to the usual abrupt cessation of ECT, the impact of an ECT taper should be evaluated.