Biomaterial Database

Markedly suprathreshold right unilateral ECT versus minimally suprathreshold bilateral ECT: antidepressant and memory effects. 2002

W Vaughn McCall, and Aaron Dunn, and Peter B Rosenquist, and Doreen Hughes

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine,Winston-Salem, North Carolina27127, USA. vmccall@wfubmc.edu

Right unilateral (RUL) ECT is reported to have fewer memory side effects than bilateral (BL) ECT. We compared RUL ECT at eight times the seizure threshold (ST) against BL ECT at 1.5 times the ST. Adults with major depression were randomly assigned to RUL ECT at eight times ST or BL ECT at 1.5 times the ST. Blinded ratings of mood and memory were made before ECT, 1 to 3 days after the final ECT, and at 2 and 4 weeks after ECT. Forty patients received RUL and 37 received BL ECT. The antidepressant response rate was not significantly different for the RUL and BL groups (60% vs. 73%). Sustained antidepressant response, accompanied by recovery from anterograde memory side effects, was seen through the first month with both treatments. Measures of mood and memory were not significantly different for the two groups at any time point. The modest sample sizes of this study do not rule out a type II error in the detection of small but meaningful differences between assigned treatments. Also, the period of post-ECT observation consisted of 1 month of naturalistic treatment. Both RUL ECT at eight times the ST and BL ECT at 1.5 times the ST produce similar mood and memory effects. Both forms of ECT produced acceptable antidepressant response rates and only transient anterograde amnesia. No clear advantage emerged for either form of ECT, and both are justifiable as first-line techniques of ECT.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011569	Psychiatric Status Rating Scales	Standardized procedures utilizing rating scales or interview schedules carried out by health personnel for evaluating the degree of mental illness.	Factor Construct Rating Scales (FCRS),Katz Adjustment Scales,Lorr's Inpatient Multidimensional Psychiatric Rating Scale,Wittenborn Scales,Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale,Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview
D003865	Depressive Disorder, Major	Disorder in which five (or more) of the following symptoms have been present during the same 2-week period and represent a change from previous functioning; at least one of the symptoms is either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure. Symptoms include: depressed mood most of the day, nearly every daily; markedly diminished interest or pleasure in activities most of the day, nearly every day; significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain; Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day; psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day; fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day; feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt; diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day; or recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt. (DSM-5)	Depression, Involutional,Major Depressive Disorder,Melancholia, Involutional,Paraphrenia, Involutional,Psychosis, Involutional,Depressive Disorders, Major,Involutional Depression,Involutional Melancholia,Involutional Paraphrenia,Involutional Paraphrenias,Involutional Psychoses,Involutional Psychosis,Major Depressive Disorders,Paraphrenias, Involutional,Psychoses, Involutional
D004056	Differential Threshold	The smallest difference which can be discriminated between two stimuli or one which is barely above the threshold.	Difference Limen,Just-Noticeable Difference,Weber-Fechner Law,Difference Limens,Difference, Just-Noticeable,Differences, Just-Noticeable,Differential Thresholds,Just Noticeable Difference,Just-Noticeable Differences,Law, Weber-Fechner,Limen, Difference,Limens, Difference,Threshold, Differential,Thresholds, Differential,Weber Fechner Law
D004565	Electroconvulsive Therapy	Electrically induced CONVULSIONS primarily used in the treatment of severe AFFECTIVE DISORDERS and SCHIZOPHRENIA.	Convulsive Therapy, Electric,ECT (Psychotherapy),Electroshock Therapy,Shock Therapy, Electric,Convulsive Therapies, Electric,Electric Convulsive Therapies,Electric Convulsive Therapy,Electric Shock Therapies,Electric Shock Therapy,Electroconvulsive Therapies,Electroshock Therapies,Shock Therapies, Electric,Therapies, Electric Convulsive,Therapies, Electric Shock,Therapies, Electroconvulsive,Therapies, Electroshock,Therapy, Electric Convulsive,Therapy, Electric Shock,Therapy, Electroconvulsive,Therapy, Electroshock
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly