Use of ECT with treatment-resistant depressed patients at the National Institute of Mental Health.
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.
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
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D008094:Lithium