A commentary in the JAMA by Prof Max Fink. In this commentayr he sumarizes the most important recent topics in ECT.
1. Remission for depressive illness with ECT: 55%-86%, these results compare favorably to the response rates in the STAR*D trial.
2. Relapse prevention after ECT, nortriptyline with lithium is first choice, continuation ECT for patients who relapse despite this treatment and for those who may not tolerate medication.
3. ECT is a primary treatment for psychotic depression.
4. ECT reduces the acute risk for suicide.
5. Medication resistance does not bare relation to treatment efficacy with ECT.
6. He still favours bilateral electrode placement.
7. Important side effects are anterograde-, retrograde amnesia.
8. Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Deep Brain Stimulation are not comparable in efficacy to ECT.
This is in short his few about the recent achievements in ECT treatment and it's research. His preference for bilateral ECT is a topic for debate. Unilateral electrode placement is technically more complex but comparable in efficacy when done the right way. That is with supratreshold stimulus dosage after stimulus titration during the first session. Research with side effects should be done for the long term and focussed on individual differences
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Electroconvulsive therapy, evidence and challenges
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