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Relationship of seizure duration to antidepressant efficacy in electroconvulsive therapy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 November 1997

H. KALES ,
J. RAZ ,
R. TANDON ,
D. MAIXNER ,
J. DeQUARDO ,
A. MILLER  and
L. BECKS
H. KALES
Affiliation:
ECT Program, University of Michigan Medical Center and Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
J. RAZ
Affiliation:
ECT Program, University of Michigan Medical Center and Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
R. TANDON
Affiliation:
ECT Program, University of Michigan Medical Center and Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
D. MAIXNER
Affiliation:
ECT Program, University of Michigan Medical Center and Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
J. DeQUARDO
Affiliation:
ECT Program, University of Michigan Medical Center and Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
A. MILLER
Affiliation:
ECT Program, University of Michigan Medical Center and Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
L. BECKS
Affiliation:
ECT Program, University of Michigan Medical Center and Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Abstract

Background. A relationship between the anticonvulsant and antidepressant properties of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been hypothesized. The goal of this study was to see whether the anticonvulsant effects of ECT could be measured in a clinical setting and whether there was any relationship between the anticonvulsant effects of ECT and the antidepressant response to it.

Methods. We examined the temporal relationship between change in seizure duration (as an index of anticonvulsant activity) and improvement in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores in a retrospective sample of 114 depressed patients who received 145 courses of ECT. A linear mixed effects model was utilized for analysis so that the repeated measures nature of the data could be taken into account.

Results. Both seizure duration and depression scores decreased significantly through the course of ECT. However, no evidence was found for a relationship between decrease in seizure duration and clinical improvement as measured by Hamilton ratings.

Conclusions. The process underlying the reduction in seizure duration through a course of ECT may not be related to antidepressant efficacy.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 27 , Issue 6 , November 1997 , pp. 1373 - 1380
Copyright
1997 Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

This paper was presented at the 49th annual meeting of the Society of Biological Psychiatry, Philadelphia in May 1994.