Palmar Digital Sweating in Women Suffering from Depression

This investigation began as an attempt to measure the anxiety shown by patients while awaiting electro-convulsive therapy. One measure used was an assessment of the degree of palmar digital sweating, using the plastic paint technique described by MacKinnon (1963). This is a method by which the number of active sweat glands in a given area at a given time can be counted. In a preliminary trial, the effect on sweating of waiting for E.C.T. was equivocal, but there seemed to be an increase in sweating in depressed patients as their clinical condition improved. In the main trial, therefore, the emphasis was placed on differences in sweating of depressed patients when ill and recovered, though the reading in the E.C.T. waiting-room was retained.

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Adrenocortical Responsiveness during Courses of Electro-convulsive Therapy

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.115.522.575 ◽

1969 ◽

Vol 115 (522) ◽

pp. 575-580 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

A. Elithorn ◽

P. K. Bridges ◽

J. R. Hodges ◽

M. T. Jones

Keyword(s):

Plasma Cortisol ◽

Close Similarity ◽

Cortisol Response ◽

Convulsive Therapy ◽

Adrenocortical Activity ◽

Depressed Patients ◽

Before And After ◽

Schizophrenic Patients ◽

Cortisol Levels ◽

Electro Convulsive Therapy

In a previous paper (Hodges, Jones, Elithorn and Bridges, 1964) we reported on adrenocortical activity in depressed and schizophrenic patients as revealed by plasma cortisol levels before and after electro-convulsive therapy (E.C.T.). Close similarity was found between the two groups except for three depressed patients who appeared to show considerably higher cortisol levels after the treatment than did the remaining subjects. The patients were examined at random different treatments during the whole treatment course and it appeared possible, both that the observed cortisol response to E.C.T. might depend partly on which treatment of the series in a whole course was under examination, and also that the response of the illness to therapy might be a significant factor. It was therefore decided to observe in a number of subjects the response to successive treatments throughout courses of E.C.T.

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Intravenous Tranquillization with ECT

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.127.6.604 ◽

1975 ◽

Vol 127 (6) ◽

pp. 604-608 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Joan Gomez ◽

Peter Dally

Keyword(s):

Side Effects ◽

Recovery Time ◽

Memory Impairment ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Convulsive Therapy ◽

Depressed Patients ◽

Retrograde Memory ◽

High Level ◽

Electro Convulsive Therapy

SummaryForty depressed in-patients for whom electro-convulsive therapy had been prescribed were rated before treatment on depression and anxiety scales. Side effects, post-operative agitation and retrograde memory impairment were assessed in each patient after each of several treatments. Results were compared when no tranquillizer was given and when either diazepam or haloperidol was administered intravenously immediately before the anaesthetic. It was found than when ECT was given without tranquillization, the incidence and severity of post-operative agitation and of side effects were significantly greater in those patients with a high level of anxiety before treatment. Both diazepam and haloperidol were found to be effective in subduing agitation and side effects in anxious, depressed patients, but with diazepam recovery time was longer.

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The platelet intracellular calcium response to serotonin and thrombin in depressed patients undergoing electro-convulsive therapy (a pilot study)

Biological Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0006-3223(97)88015-8 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 42 (1) ◽

pp. 261S

Author(s):

H. Plein ◽

M. Berk ◽

N. Butkow

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Intracellular Calcium ◽

Calcium Response ◽

Convulsive Therapy ◽

Depressed Patients ◽

Electro Convulsive Therapy

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Electroconvulsive Therapy and Depression

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.111.477.687 ◽

1965 ◽

Vol 111 (477) ◽

pp. 687-690 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

J. Mendels

Keyword(s):

Electroconvulsive Therapy ◽

Clinical Picture ◽

Antidepressant Drugs ◽

Convulsive Therapy ◽

Depressed Patients ◽

Treatment Of Depression ◽

Electro Convulsive Therapy ◽

Selection Of

After 25 years there is still considerable disagreement surrounding the indications for electro-convulsive therapy (E.C.T.). This is a particular problem in the treatment of depression, both because of the controversy over the division of depression into endogenous and reactive illnesses and because of the increasing use of the antidepressant drugs. These drugs will induce a remission in many patients, and will alter the clinical picture in others. As their use becomes still more widespread (Freyhan (1) has recommended that intensive imipramine treatment should be tried routinely before E.C.T. in all depressed patients) there may be further difficulties in the selection of depressed patients likely to respond well to E.C.T. Furthermore several recent reviews draw attention to a reduction in the use of E.C.T., and the lack of a consistent rationale for its use (2–4).

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