Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 748438

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First prospective study of ECT conducted

Posted by Larry Hoover on April 9, 2007, at 12:45:57

http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/v32/n1/full/1301180a.html

Hard to believe that a procedure in use for over 50 years has finally had a large-scale multi-centre prospective study of its effects on cognitive function.

Interesting how the abstract downplayed the finding that more than one out of eight subjects experienced loss of autobiographical memory at greater than 2 standard deviations decrement from pre-convulsion levels. Or that when tested at 3-7 days post treatment, all measures of cognitive function were substantially impaired (10 of 11 p < 0.0001; the other p < 0.003).

Not surprisingly, if you've followed the literature, bilateral electrode placement and sine-wave current were more likely to predict declines in cognitive function at 6 months post-treatment. Despite a little dancing around bushes in the abstract, they do conclude "...adverse cognitive effects were detected 6 months following the acute treatment course."

Lar

 

Re: First prospective study of ECT conducted » Larry Hoover

Posted by Bob on April 9, 2007, at 13:43:57

In reply to First prospective study of ECT conducted, posted by Larry Hoover on April 9, 2007, at 12:45:57

My memory and congnition were significantly impaired from ECT. The effects are not always immediately apparent, especially to the patient, but as time goes on the impact becomes more evident. That was the case for me, at least. I found that short term, working cognition, for things such as word recall and mathematical tasks were affected. This part recovered somewhat as time passed after the end of treatment. Memory slowly go better, but now, 2 years later, I'm still missing the recall of experiences that others around me remember with no problem. It's not everything, but it is there.

 

Re: First prospective study of ECT conducted

Posted by Squiggles on April 9, 2007, at 14:27:31

In reply to First prospective study of ECT conducted, posted by Larry Hoover on April 9, 2007, at 12:45:57

I'm surprised that they could derive any
results at all. But I guess with global
brain trauma, time will tell.

Squiggles

 

Re: First prospective study of ECT conducted

Posted by lcat10 on April 9, 2007, at 17:57:44

In reply to Re: First prospective study of ECT conducted » Larry Hoover, posted by Bob on April 9, 2007, at 13:43:57

I recently had ECT at the University of Chicago Hospital and was inpatient from March 1st to March 17th. I had five ECT treatments in the hospital that were right unilateral at 5x the seizure threshold level, twice per week instead of three times per week. I then had two treatments outpatient. I obviously have retrograde amnesia for months before the ECT and during the time of the ECT. I have journaled since January 1st, however, and so I can read what was going on. I seem to have some retrograde amnesia for several years in the past as well. This I expected.

I stopped the treatment after treatment #7 because I was developing severe disorientation. I could not figure how to get from point a to point b even when it was someplace I drove to a million times. I was also having confusion that persisted as well as difficulty focusing and retaining new information. There were other things as well such as feeling like I had ADHD, having noxious olfactory hallucinations, difficulty with perceptions such that I could not tell how far down to step off a curb, and I could not visualize senarios in my head. My ability to spell deteriorated significantly, and I had difficulty with anterograde amnesia.

My pdoc and the ECT doc both agreed we should stop the ECT even though I had not derived full benefit from the ECT. I am now on Desipramine and it seems to be working. As far as current problems now that I am a little over two weeks out from my last ECT on March 23rd, I no longer have most of the problems I had initially and consider myself lucky that the disorientation is cleared as well as perceptual difficulties, confusion, difficulty focusing, and the inability to picture senarios in my head. The retrograde amnesia persists as does the anterograde amnesia. It is the latter that concerns me. I have to write down everything like tasks to complete, appointments, etc. I can't remember from one week to the next what I talked about in therapy.

I also had to go back on Neurontin to get rid of the olfactory hallucinations which appear to be from seizures. I am seeing a neurologist later next week. My math ability is still good.

 

Re: First prospective study of ECT conducted » lcat10

Posted by Phillipa on April 9, 2007, at 21:39:08

In reply to Re: First prospective study of ECT conducted, posted by lcat10 on April 9, 2007, at 17:57:44

So glad you saw this was about to let you know. Love Phillipa


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