Cognitive Function Before and After Electroconvulsive Therapy in Patients with Major Depression

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains the most effective therapy in treatment-resistant depression. However, the safety of ECT has been consistently questioned, particularly among elderly patients. We assessed the efficacy and safety of ECT in patients before and after 65 years old. The study was conducted between 2015 and 2018 and included 91 patients (61 under and 29 over 65 years old) with major depression undergoing ECT. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale was used to evaluate efficacy. Cognitive functions were assessed using: MMSE, RAVLT, Trail Making Test, Stroop Test and Autobiographical Memory Interview-Short Form. ECT was more effective in older patients as compared to younger (p < 0.001). No serious adverse events were observed in either group. Increased blood pressure and arrhythmias were more common in the older compared to the younger group (p = 0.044 and p = 0.047, respectively), while disturbances of consciousness did not differ between groups (p = 0.820). Most of the cognitive functions remained unchanged compared to baseline, whereas the outcomes of MMSE, RAVLT and Stroop tests showed greater improvements in the older compared to the younger group (all p < 0.05). The decline in the retrieval consistency of autobiographical memory was more pronounced in the younger group (p = 0.024). ECT is a highly effective, safe and well-tolerated method of treating depression regardless of age.

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Cognitive Function Before and After Electroconvulsive Therapy in Patients with Major Depression

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.02.013 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. s241-s242

Author(s):

A. Tmava ◽

I. Eicher ◽

D.E. Seitz ◽

S. Mörkl ◽

C. Blesl ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Function ◽

Electroconvulsive Therapy ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Verbal Learning ◽

Stroop Test ◽

Trail Making Test ◽

Before And After ◽

Trail Making ◽

Competing Interest ◽

A Prospective Study

BackgroundDespite its high effectiveness, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is not a widely used method to treat depression. One of the reasons for this could be the fear of cognitive side effects. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of ECT on cognitive function.MethodsWe conducted a prospective study with a sample size of 23 patients (10 male), who met the criteria of treatment-resistant depression according to ICD–10 and gave their informed consent for ECT treatment. Before and after ECT, the following investigations have been performed: Beck depression inventory (BDI), Montgomery-Asberg depression rating scale (MADRS), Mehrfachwahl-Wortschatz-Intelligenztest (MWT-B), trail making test (TMT) A and B, stroop-test, mini mental state examination (MMSE) and the German version of the California verbal learning test (MGT).ResultsAfter ECT treatment, we found highly significant changes of depression-scales BDI (P = 0.028) and MADR-Scale (P = 0.001). IQ as measured by the MWT-B (P = 0.851), executive functions as measured by trail making test A (P = 0.568) and B (P = 0.372) and stroop-test, memory functions as measured by the MGT (P = 0.565) (Figure 1) and MMSE (P = 0.678) did not differ significantly after ECT treatment.ConclusionThere were no significant differences in cognitive function before and after ECT treatment. To confirm these findings, it would be necessary to perform larger studies.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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Plasma Concentrations of Neuroactive Steroids before and after Electroconvulsive Therapy in Major Depression

Neuropsychopharmacology ◽

10.1038/sj.npp.1300684 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 30 (6) ◽

pp. 1181-1186 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Thomas C Baghai ◽

Flavia di Michele ◽

Cornelius Schüle ◽

Daniela Eser ◽

Peter Zwanzger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Major Depression ◽

Electroconvulsive Therapy ◽

Plasma Concentrations ◽

Neuroactive Steroids ◽

Before And After

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Assessment of Cognitive Function Before and After Surgery for Posterior Cranial Fossa Lesions

Skull Base ◽

10.1055/s-2009-1242320 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 19 (03) ◽

Author(s):

Shinya Ishimura ◽

Takayuki Ohira ◽

Masahito Kobayashi ◽

Tadashige Kano ◽

Maaya Orii ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Function ◽

Posterior Cranial Fossa ◽

Before And After ◽

Cranial Fossa

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Atropine versus Hyoscine Premedication for Electroconvulsive Therapy in Major Depression

10.26226/morressier.5a6ef3f0ab9a5f002a4c8bb6 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Mahshid Ghasemi

Keyword(s):

Major Depression ◽

Electroconvulsive Therapy

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Efficacy, safety and tolerability of formula-based unilateral vs bilateral electroconvulsive therapy in the treatment of major depression: A randomized open label controlled trial

Journal of Psychiatric Research ◽

10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.12.002 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 133 ◽

pp. 52-59

Author(s):

Monika Dominiak ◽

Anna Z. Antosik-Wójcińska ◽

Zuzanna Goetz ◽

Olga Sikorska ◽

Bogdan Stefanowski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Major Depression ◽

Electroconvulsive Therapy ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Open Label

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332 - Electroconvulsive therapy in older adults with major depression was not associated with cognitive decline during a 15-year follow-up

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s104161022000232x ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 32 (S1) ◽

pp. 91-91

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Major Depression ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Electroconvulsive Therapy ◽

Antidepressant Treatment ◽

Community Sample ◽

Control Group

AUTHORS:Kerstin Johansson, Karolina Thömkvist, Ingmar Skoog and Sacuiu SF* (*presenter)OBJECTIVE:To determine the effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in major depression in relation to the development of dementia during long-term follow-up.METHOD:In an observational clinical prospective study of consecutive patients 70 years and older diagnosed with major depression at baseline 2000-2004 (n=1090), who were free of dementia and received antidepressant treatment, with or without ECT, we sought to determine if cognitive decline (mild cognitive impairment and dementia) during 15 -year follow-up was associated with receiving ECT at baseline. The control group was selected among the participants in the Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Studies matched by age group and sex 1:1.RESULTS:Among patients with affective syndromes 7% received ECT. During follow-up, 157 patients were diagnosed with dementia, equal proportions among those who received ECT (14.5%) and those who did not receive ECT (14.5%). The relation between ECT and cognitive decline remained non-significant irrespective antidepressive medication or presence of mild cognitive impairment at baseline.CONCLUSION:Preliminary results indicate that ECT was not associated with the development of cognitive decline in the long-term in a hospital-based cohort of 70+ year-olds. The results remain to verify against controls from a representative community sample.

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