Ictal electroencephalographic correlates of posttreatment neuropsychological changes in electroconvulsive therapy: a hypothesis-generation study.

Objectives: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been associated with memory and neuropsychological changes, but which features of ECT are associated with those changes have not been well investigated. The aim of this hypothesis-generation study was to examine correlations between ictal electroencephalographic (EEG) characteristics and cognitive side effects after ECT.

Methods: Eight patients with major depressive disorder were examined with the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R), the Stroop test, the Trail Making Test, and verbal fluency before and after ECT treatment.

Postictal cardiovascular response predicts therapeutic efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy for depression.

Physiological parameters such as blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) reflect autonomic response after seizure and may correlate with therapeutic efficacy in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). However, the literature has been inconclusive with regard to the relationship between the effectiveness of ECT and physiological markers without atropine. In a consecutive sample of 24 patients with a drug-resistant major depressive episode who underwent modified sine or pulse wave ECT without atropine, the correlation was examined between BP and HR before, and 2 min after electrical stimulation and therapeutic efficacy on depressive symptoms.

Postictal suppression correlates with therapeutic efficacy for depression in bilateral sine and pulse wave electroconvulsive therapy.

Ictal electroencephalography (EEG) parameters in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for depression reportedly correlate with therapeutic response and stimulus dosage, particularly in right unilateral (RUL) ECT. The authors examined ictal EEG parameters as predictors of therapeutic effectiveness in bilateral (BL) sine and pulse wave ECT. A total of 30 consecutive depressed inpatients who had not responded to standard pharmacotherapy were treated using BL ECT given in either sine or pulse wave mode.

Regional cerebral blood flow changes in depression after electroconvulsive therapy.

A large number of studies have documented regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) abnormalities in depression. A smaller yet significant number of studies have examined changes in rCBF before and after treatment. The findings, however, have been variable with regard to changes before and after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Memory, attention, and executive functions before and after sine and pulse wave electroconvulsive therapies for treatment-resistant major depression.

Objective: Studies of the cognitive effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) have resulted in controversial findings up to now, partly because researchers and reviewers have not always made a clear distinction among various aspects of cognition and because there are many parameters involved in the administration of ECT that have a potential impact on cognition. The present study focused on the impact of sine and pulse waveforms on anterograde memory and nonmemory cognitive functions.

Methods: We assigned 18 patients with unipolar major depression or bipolar I or II disorder, most recent episode depressed, to receive sine wave or pulse wave ECT and assessed their cognitive function before and after ECT, using a neuropsychologic test battery that measured anterograde memory, attention, and executive functions.