title: Use of ECT with treatment-resistant depressed patients at the National Institute of Mental Health.
abstract: The authors review the use of ECT with nine seriously depressed patients at the National Institute of Mental Health over the past 8 years. Despite the patients' poor prior response to a variety of pharmacological treatments, only one patient failed to show a complete response to ECT. With most patients, improvement was quite rapid and dramatic, and all of the ECT responders were free of depression for at least 1 year after treatment. These results are consistent with previous studies; they deserve reemphasis now in light of recent controversies over ECT, including legislative and judicial attempts to restrict its use.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000648:Amnesia, Retrograde / Q000209:etiology; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D008094:Lithium