4.8 Review

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Related references

Note: Only part of the references are listed.
Article Psychiatry

'Shock tactics', ethics and fear: an academic and personal perspective on the case against electroconvulsive therapy

Tania Gergel

Summary: Despite extensive evidence for its effectiveness, electroconvulsive therapy faces fierce opposition from some who contest its benefits, primarily based on unsubstantiated claims about major ethical violations.

BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY (2022)

Review Neurosciences

The Neurobiological Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy Studied Through Magnetic Resonance: What Have We Learned, and Where Do We Go?

Olga Therese Ousdal et al.

Summary: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a commonly used method for treating severe depression, but its mechanisms of action are still unclear. Previous MRI studies on ECT have yielded mixed results and have been limited by small sample sizes and methodological differences. However, recent global collaborations and advancements in MRI technology have provided the statistical power and tools needed to study whole-brain structural and functional changes after ECT. Additionally, investigating immediate and long-term effects of ECT may help differentiate therapeutic effects from other phenomena. Improving our understanding of the neurobiological effects of ECT through MRI studies could lead to better patient care.

BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY (2022)

Article Psychology, Clinical

Cognitive function after electroconvulsive therapy for depression: relationship to clinical response

Ian M. Anderson et al.

Summary: This study examined the impact of remission status on cognitive function in depressed patients 4 months after a course of ECT. Remitted patients showed improved subjective memory and verbal memory recall, while other aspects of cognitive function were not significantly influenced by remission status. Self-rated memory may be a useful tool to monitor the effects of ECT on longer-term memory.

PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE (2021)

Article Psychiatry

Patient-level Characteristics and Inequitable Access to Inpatient Electroconvulsive Therapy for Depression: A Population-based Cross-sectional Study: Caracteristiques au niveau du patient et acces inequitable a la therapie electroconvulsive pour patients hospitalises

Tyler S. Kaster et al.

Summary: Factors such as age, marital status, education level, neighborhood income, and illness polarity are associated with the likelihood of receiving inpatient electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for depression. Many clinical factors regarding the receipt of inpatient ECT are in line with clinical guidelines, but nonclinical factors impacting its use should be further investigated for equitable access to ECT.

CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY-REVUE CANADIENNE DE PSYCHIATRIE (2021)

Review Behavioral Sciences

Current Practices of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Mental Disorders A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Short and Long-Term Cognitive Effects

Marilyne Landry et al.

Summary: This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the most frequent cognitive side effects after ECT, revealing no significant changes in global cognition at PO1, small to medium effect sizes at PO2 with decreases in autobiographical memory, verbal fluency, and verbal memory, and improvements in almost all cognitive domains at PO3, including verbal fluency and verbal memory. The most common screening test used in ECT, the Mini-Mental State Examination, has limited clinical utility in tracking post-ECT cognitive changes, and cognitive assessment for ECT purposes should include autobiographical memory, verbal fluency, and verbal memory.

JOURNAL OF ECT (2021)

Review Clinical Neurology

Electroconvulsive Therapy for Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Akihiro Takamiya et al.

Summary: The study reviewed previous clinical studies and found that ECT is effective in improving both motor and non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease, especially in those without psychiatric symptoms. ECT also significantly improved depression, psychosis, wearing-off phenomenon, without worsening cognitive functioning.

MOVEMENT DISORDERS (2021)

Article Clinical Neurology

Comparative outcomes in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): A naturalistic comparison between outcomes in psychosis, mania, depression, psychotic depression and catatonia

Phern Chern Tor et al.

Summary: Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) varies in use and effectiveness for different indications worldwide, but can significantly improve clinical global impression, quality of life, and global functioning for patients with acute psychosis, mania, depression, psychotic depression, and catatonia.

EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY (2021)

Review Psychiatry

Electroconvulsive Therapy in Mania: A Review of 80 Years of Clinical Experience

Alby Elias et al.

Summary: While electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is no longer the first-line treatment for mania, recent research has shown promising results in its use, including the adoption of ultrabrief ECT, combination with pharmacological agents, and use as a maintenance strategy. Technical parameters, such as treatment frequency, electrode placements, and pulse width, play a critical role in its efficacy.

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY (2021)

Article Health Policy & Services

Clinicians' Racial Bias Contributing to Disparities in Electroconvulsive Therapy for Patients From Racial-Ethnic Minority Groups

Carmen Black Parker et al.

Summary: Research suggests that clinicians may display racial bias when considering electroconvulsive therapy for patients of color, leading to incorrect diagnoses and impacting treatment efficacy and referral patterns.

PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES (2021)

Article Psychiatry

Association of ECT With Risks of All-Cause Mortality and Suicide in Older Medicare Patients

Taeho Greg Rhee et al.

Summary: In this observational study, ECT was found to be associated with lower 1-year all-cause mortality and temporary protective effects on suicide risk. The study suggests that ECT may be a beneficial consideration for inpatients with mood disorders at short-term risk of suicide.

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY (2021)

Article Psychiatry

Mortality after electroconvulsive therapy

Bradley Watts et al.

Summary: The study showed that there was no evidence of elevated or excess mortality after ECT. Patients receiving ECT had a lower risk of all-cause mortality in the year after their index course of ECT compared to similar patients who did not receive ECT.

BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY (2021)

Review Clinical Neurology

Neuromodulation in Super-refractory Status Epilepticus

Ioannis Stavropoulos et al.

Summary: Status epilepticus is a severe condition that requires immediate pharmacological treatment, with a subset progressing to refractory status epilepticus and super-refractory status epilepticus, potentially causing severe brain damage. Neuromodulation techniques have shown promising results in controlling super-refractory status epilepticus, but further research is needed to confirm efficacy and explore early intervention options.

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY (2021)

Article Medicine, General & Internal

Electroconvulsive Therapy and the Risk of Suicide in Hospitalized Patients With Major Depressive Disorder

Ida Ronnqvist et al.

Summary: This Swedish cohort study found that patients with severe depression who received ECT had a lower risk of suicide compared to those who did not receive ECT during inpatient care. Especially for hospitalized patients older than 45 years and with a psychotic subtype, the use of ECT was associated with a reduced risk of suicide.

JAMA NETWORK OPEN (2021)

Article Clinical Neurology

Electroconvulsive therapy is associated with lower readmission rates in patients with schizophrenia

Yin-bing Ying et al.

Summary: Through analyzing medical records from a large psychiatric hospital in Beijing in 2016, it was found that patients with schizophrenia who received electroconvulsive therapy had significantly lower readmission rates compared to those who did not receive it. The risk of readmission was associated with factors such as gender, age, marital status, income, length of inpatient stay, and specific antipsychotic medications received during the index admission.

BRAIN STIMULATION (2021)

Article Psychiatry

Use of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Autism

Sa Eun Park et al.

PSYCHIATRIC CLINICS OF NORTH AMERICA (2021)

Article Psychiatry

Serum neurofilament light chain (NFL) remains unchanged during electroconvulsive therapy

Matthias Besse et al.

WORLD JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY (2020)

Article Clinical Neurology

Clinical effectiveness and speed of response of electroconvulsive therapy in treatment-resistant schizophrenia

Christopher Yi Wen Chan et al.

PSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES (2019)

Review Behavioral Sciences

Regulation of Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Systematic Review of US State Laws

Robin Livingston et al.

JOURNAL OF ECT (2018)

Review Geriatrics & Gerontology

Electroconvulsive Therapy for Agitation and Aggression in Dementia: A Systematic Review

Julia F. van den Berg et al.

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY (2018)

Article Neurosciences

Volume of the Human Hippocampus and Clinical Response Following Electroconvulsive Therapy

Leif Oltedal et al.

BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY (2018)

Article Health Policy & Services

Identifying Recipients of Electroconvulsive Therapy: Data From Privately Insured Americans

Samuel T. Wilkinson et al.

PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES (2018)

Review Psychiatry

Maintenance ECT in schizophrenia: A systematic review

Heather Burrell Ward et al.

PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH (2018)

Review Medicine, General & Internal

Depression

Gin S. Malhi et al.

LANCET (2018)

Editorial Material Psychiatry

Modern Electroconvulsive Therapy Vastly Improved yet Greatly Underused

Harold A. Sackeim

JAMA PSYCHIATRY (2017)

Article Psychiatry

A Novel Strategy for Continuation ECT in Geriatric Depression: Phase 2 of the PRIDE Study

Charles H. Kellner et al.

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY (2016)

Article Behavioral Sciences

Depression Severity in Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Versus Pharmacotherapy Trials

Charles H. Kellner et al.

JOURNAL OF ECT (2015)

Article Psychiatry

Bifrontal, bitemporal and right unilateral electrode placement in ECT: randomised trial

Charles H. Kellner et al.

BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY (2010)

Article Psychiatry

WFSBP Guidelines on Brain Stimulation Treatments in Psychiatry

Thomas E. Schlaepfer et al.

WORLD JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY (2010)

Article Medicine, General & Internal

Continuation pharmacotherapy in the prevention of relapse following electroconvulsive therapy - A randomized controlled trial

HA Sackeim et al.

JAMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (2001)