What we have learned about electroconvulsive therapy and its relevance for the practising psychiatrist

Canadian Journal of Psychiatry

Volumn 56, Issue 1, 2011, Pages 5-12

  Sienaert, Pascal ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS LEUVEN   (Belgium)

Author keywords

Bipolar disorder; Catatonia; Continuation electroconvulsive therapy; Depressive disorder; Electroconvulsive therapy; Mood disorders; Schizophrenia

Indexed keywords

ANALGESIC AGENT; ANTIEMETIC AGENT; CLOZAPINE; HYPNOTIC AGENT; LITHIUM; MUSCLE RELAXANT AGENT; NEUROLEPTIC AGENT; NORTRIPTYLINE; VENLAFAXINE;

BIPOLAR DISORDER; CATATONIA; CLINICAL PRACTICE; ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY; FRACTURE; HAMILTON SCALE; HEADACHE; HUMAN; INFORMED CONSENT; MAJOR DEPRESSION; MEMORY DISORDER; NAUSEA; NEUROLEPTIC MALIGNANT SYNDROME; PERSONALITY DISORDER; PSYCHIATRIST; REVIEW; SCHIZOPHRENIA; SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR; YOUNG MANIA RATING SCALE;

EID: 79951617200     PISSN: 07067437     EISSN: 14970015     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/070674371105600103     Document Type: Review

References (77)

1. UK ECT Review Group. Efficacy and safety of electroconvulsive therapy in depressive disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. 2003;361(9360):799-808.
2. Shorter E, Healy D. Shock therapy: a history of electroconvulsive treatment in mental illness. New Brunswick (NJ): Rutgers University Press; 2007.
3. Mankad MV, Beyer JL, Weiner RD, et al. Clinical manual of electroconvulsive therapy. Washington (DC): American Psychiatric Publishing; 2010.
4. Sienaert P, van den Broek, WW. Electroconvulsive therapy in continental western Europe: a literature review. In: Swartz CR, editor. Electroconvulsive and neuromodulation therapies. New York (NY): Cambridge University Press; 2009. p 246-255.
5. Husain MM, Rush AJ, Fink M, et al. Speed of response and remission in major depressive disorder with acute electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): a Consortium for Research in ECT (CORE) report. J Clin Psychiatry. 2004;65(4):485-491.
6. Petrides G, Fink M, Husain MM, et al. ECT remission rates in psychotic versus nonpsychotic depressed patients: a report from CORE. J ECT. 2001;17(4):244-253. (Pubitemid 33131305)
7. Kellner CH, Knapp RG, Petrides G, et al. Continuation electroconvulsive therapy vs pharmacotherapy for relapse prevention in major depression: a multisite study from the Consortium for Research in Electroconvulsive Therapy (CORE). Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2006;63:1337-1344.
8. Sackeim HA, Haskett RF, Mulsant BH, et al. Continuation pharmacotherapy in the prevention of relapse following electroconvulsive therapy: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2001;285(10):1299-1307. (Pubitemid 32216144)
9. Fink M, Taylor MA. Electroconvulsive therapy: evidence and challenges. JAMA. 2007;298(3):330-332.
10. Kellner CH, Knapp R, Husain MM, et al. Bifrontal, bitemporal and right unilateral electrode placement in ECT: randomised trial. Br J Psychiatry. 2010;196:226-234.
11. O'Connor MK, Knapp R, Husain M, et al. The influence of age on the response of major depression to electroconvulsive therapy: a CORE report. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2001;9:382-390. (Pubitemid 33015125)
12. Kho KH, Blansjaar BA, Vothknecht S, et al. A study into predictors for the speed of response to electroconvulsive therapy. J ECT. 2004;20:154-159. (Pubitemid 39281565)
13. Taylor MA, Fink M. Melancholia. The diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment of depressive illness. Cambridge (GB): Cambridge University Press; 2006.
14. Fink M, Rush AJ, Knapp R, et al. DSM melancholic features are unreliable predictors of ECT response: a CORE publication. J ECT. 2007;23:139-146. (Pubitemid 47368027)
15. Parker G. Defining melancholia: the primacy of psychomotor disturbance. Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl. 2007;(433):21-30. (Pubitemid 46114836)
16. Hickie I, Mason C, Parker G, et al. Prediction of ECT response: validation of a refined sign-based (CORE) system for defining melancholia. Br J Psychiatry. 1996;169:68-74.
17. Dombrovski AY, Mulsant BH, Haskett RF, et al. Predictors of remission after electroconvulsive therapy in unipolar major depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2005;66:1043-1049. (Pubitemid 41191798)
18. Rasmussen KG, Mueller M, Knapp RG, et al. Antidepressant medication treatment failure does not predict lower remission with ECT for major depressive disorder: a report from the consortium for research in electroconvulsive therapy. J Clin Psychiatry. 2007;68:1701-1706. (Pubitemid 350247499)
19. Kennedy SH, Milev R, Giacobbe P, et al. Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) Clinical guidelines for the management of major depressive disorder in adults. IV. Neurostimulation therapies. J Affect Disord. 2009;117 (Suppl 1): S44-S53.
20. Bailine S, Fink M, Knapp R, et al. Electroconvulsive therapy is equally effective in unipolar and bipolar depression. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2010;121(6):431-436. Epub 2009 Nov 8.
21. Daly JJ, Prudic J, Devanand DP, et al. ECT in bipolar and unipolar depression: differences in speed of response. Bipolar Disord. 2001;3:95-104. (Pubitemid 32492597)
22. Sienaert P, Vansteelandt K, Demyttenaere K, et al. Ultra-brief pulse ECT in bipolar and unipolar depressive disorder: differences in speed of response. Bipolar Disord. 2009;11:418-424.
23. Medda P, Perugi G, Zanello S, et al. Response to ECT in bipolar I, bipolar II and unipolar depression. J Affect Disord. 2009;118:55-59.
24. Ansari A, Osser DN. The psychopharmacology algorithm project at the Harvard South Shore Program: an update on bipolar depression. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2010;18:36-55.
25. Birkenhäger TK, Pluijms EM, Lucius SA. ECT response in delusional versus non-delusional depressed inpatients. J Affect Disord. 2003;74:191-195. (Pubitemid 36428701)
26. Rothschild AJ. Clinical manual for diagnosis and treatment of psychotic depression. Washington (DC): American Psychiatric Publishing; 2009.
27. Fink M. Electroconvulsive therapy: a guide for professionals and their patients. Oxford (GB): Oxford University Press; 2009.
28. American Psychiatric Association Task Force on ECT. The practice of electroconvulsive therapy: recommendations for treatment, training and privileging. Washington (DC): American Psychiatric Association; 2001.
29. Kellner CH, Fink M, Knapp R, et al. Relief of expressed suicidal intent by ECT: a Consortium for Research in ECT study. Am J Psychiatry. 2005;162:977-982.
30. Rasmussen KG, Lineberry TW. Patients who inappropriately demand electroconvulsive therapy. J ECT. 2007;23:109-113. (Pubitemid 46869764)
31. Mukherjee S, Sackeim HA, Schnur DB. Electroconvulsive therapy of acute manic episodes: a review of 50 years' experience. Am J Psychiatry. 1994;151:169-176. (Pubitemid 24053093)
32. Hiremani RM, Thirthalli J, Tharayil BS, et al. Double-blind randomized controlled study comparing short-term efficacy of bifrontal and bitemporal electroconvulsive therapy in acute mania. Bipolar Disord. 2008;10:701-707.
33. Barekatain M, Jahangard L, Haghighi M, et al. Bifrontal versus bitemporal electroconvulsive therapy in severe manic patients. J ECT. 2008;24:199-202.
34. Mohan TS, Tharyan P, Alexander J, et al. Effects of stimulus intensity on the efficacy and safety of twice-weekly, bilateral electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) combined with antipsychotics in acute mania: a randomised controlled trial. Bipolar Disord. 2009;11:126-134.
35. Fink M. Delirious mania. Bipolar Disord. 1999;1:54-60.
36. Detweiler MB, Mehra A, Rowell T, et al. Delirious mania and malignant catatonia: a report of 3 cases and review. Psychiatr Q. 2009;80:23-40.
37. Gazdag G, Kocsis N, Lipcsey A. Rates of electroconvulsive therapy use in Hungary in 2002. J ECT. 2004;20:42-44.
38. Chang SS. Electroconvulsive therapy in Asia. In: Swartz CR, editor. Electroconvulsive and neuromodulation therapies. New York (NY): Cambridge University Press; 2009. p 256-265.
39. Matheson SL, Green MJ, Loo C, et al. Quality assessment and comparison of evidence for electroconvulsive therapy and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for schizophrenia: a systematic meta-review. Schizophr Res. 2010;118:201-210.
40. Tharyan P, Adams CE. Electroconvulsive therapy for schizophrenia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005(2):CD000076.
41. Fink M, Taylor MA. Catatonia. A clinician's guide to diagnosis and treatment. New York (NY): Cambridge University Press; 2003.
42. Fink M, Taylor MA. The catatonia syndrome: forgotten but not gone. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009;66:1173-1177.
43. Daniels J. Catatonia: clinical aspects and neurobiological correlates. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2009;21:371-380.
44. Fink M, Shorter E, Taylor MA. Catatonia is not schizophrenia: Kraepelin's error and the need to recognize catatonia as an independent syndrome in medical nomenclature. Schizophr Bull. 2010;36:314-320.
45. Fink M. Catatonia: a syndrome appears, disappears, and is rediscovered. Can J Psychiatry. 2009;54:437-445.
46. Dhossche DM, Reti IM, Wachtel LE. Catatonia and autism: historical review, with implications for electroconvulsive therapy. J ECT. 2009;25:19-22.
47. Dhossche DM, Wing L, Ohta M, et al. Catatonia in autism spectrum disorders. Amsterdam (NL): Academic Press; 2006.
48. Dalmau J, Gleichman AJ, Hughes EG, et al. Anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis: case series and analysis of the effects of antibodies. Lancet Neurol. 2008;7:1091-1098.
49. Girish K, Gill NS. Electroconvulsive therapy in lorazepam non-responsive catatonia. Indian J Psychiatry. 2003;45:21-25. (Pubitemid 36657670)
50. Feske U, Mulsant BH, Pilkonis PA, et al. Clinical outcome of ECT in patients with major depression and comorbid borderline personality disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2004;161:2073-2080. (Pubitemid 39441409)
51. Tess AV, Smetana GW. Medical evaluation of patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy. N Engl J Med. 2009;360:1437-1444.
52. Dukakis K, Tye L. Shock: the healing power of electroconvulsive therapy. New York (NY): Avery; 2006.
53. Dukakis K. Shock. Dallas (TX): AMS Pictures; 2007.
54. Sackeim HA, Dillingham EM, Prudic J, et al. Effect of concomitant pharmacotherapy on electroconvulsive therapy outcomes: short-term efficacy and adverse effects. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009;66:729-737.
55. Painuly N, Chakrabarti S. Combined use of electroconvulsive therapy and antipsychotics in schizophrenia: the Indian evidence. A review and a meta-analysis. J ECT. 2006;22:59-66. (Pubitemid 44491134)
56. Sienaert P, Peuskens J. Electroconvulsive therapy in schizophrenia: a reasonable treatment option? Adv Schizophr Clin Psychiatry. 2006;2:79-83.
57. Kho KH, Blansjaar BA, de Vries S, et al. Electroconvulsive therapy for the treatment of clozapine nonresponders suffering from schizophrenia - an open label study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2004;254:372-379. (Pubitemid 40192992)
58. Gazdag G, Kocsis-Ficzere N, Tolna J. The augmentation of clozapine treatment with electroconvulsive therapy. Ideggyogy Sz. 2006;59:261-267.
59. Dolenc TJ, Rasmussen KG. The safety of electroconvulsive therapy and lithium in combination: a case series and review of the literature. J ECT. 2005;21:165-170. (Pubitemid 41291978)
60. Sienaert P, Peuskens J. Anticonvulsants during electroconvulsive therapy: review and recommendations. J ECT. 2007;23:120-123. (Pubitemid 46869766)
61. Sienaert P, Roelens Y, Demunter H, et al. Concurrent use of lamotrigine and electroconvulsive therapy. J ECT. 2010 Jun 16. [Epub ahead of print].
62. Ingram A, Saling MM, Schweitzer I. Cognitive side effects of brief pulse electroconvulsive therapy: a review. J ECT. 2008;24:3-9. (Pubitemid 351498635)
63. Fraser LM, O'Carroll RE, Ebmeier KP. The effect of electroconvulsive therapy on autobiographical memory: a systematic review. J ECT. 2008;24:10-17. (Pubitemid 351498636)
64. Rose D, Fleischmann P, Wykes T, et al. Patients' perspectives on electroconvulsive therapy: systematic review. BMJ. 2003;326(7403):1363-1368.
65. Sackeim HA, Prudic J, Nobler MS, et al. Effects of pulse width and electrode placement on the efficacy and cognitive effects of electroconvulsive therapy. Brain Stimul. 2008;1:71-83. (Pubitemid 351698629)
66. Sienaert P, Vansteelandt K, Demyttenaere K, et al. Randomized comparison of ultra-brief bifrontal and unilateral electroconvulsive therapy for major depression: cognitive side-effects. J Affect Disord. 2010;122:60-67.
67. Loo CK, Sainsbury K, Sheehan P, et al. A comparison of RUL ultrabrief pulse (0.3 ms) ECT and standard RUL ECT. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2008;11:883-890.
68. Kellner CH. Ultrabrief pulse right unilateral ECT: a new standard of care? Psychiatric Times. 2009;26:1-4.
69. Sienaert P, Vansteelandt K, Demyttenaere K, et al. Randomized comparison of ultra-brief bifrontal and unilateral electroconvulsive therapy for major depression: clinical efficacy. J Affect Disord. 2009;116:106-112.
70. Sienaert P, Vansteelandt K, Demyttenaere K, et al. Predictors of patient satisfaction after ultrabrief bifrontal and unilateral electroconvulsive therapies for major depression. J ECT. 2010;26:55-59.
71. Prudic J, Olfson M, Marcus SC, et al. Effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy in community settings. Biol Psychiatry. 2004;55:301-312. (Pubitemid 38117168)
72. Kellner C, Lisanby SH. Flexible dosing schedules for continuation electroconvulsive therapy. J ECT. 2008;24:177-178.
73. Odeberg H, Rodriguez-Silva B, Salander P, et al. Individualized continuation electroconvulsive therapy and medication as a bridge to relapse prevention after an index course of electroconvulsive therapy in severe mood disorders: a naturalistic 3-year cohort study. J ECT. 2008;24:183-190.
74. Sienaert P, Peuskens J. Electroconvulsive therapy: an effective therapy of medication-resistant bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disord. 2006;8:304-306.
75. Vaidya NA, Mahableshwarkar AR, Shahid R. Continuation and maintenance ECT in treatment-resistant bipolar disorder. J ECT. 2003;19:10-16. (Pubitemid 36298275)
76. Chanpattana W, Chakrabhand ML, Sackeim HA, et al. Continuation ECT in treatment-resistant schizophrenia: a controlled study. J ECT. 1999;15:178-192.
77. Fox HA. Extended continuation and maintenance ECT for long-lasting episodes of major depression. J ECT. 2001;17:60-64. (Pubitemid 32246869)