Stimulus dose-titration in ECT: a 2-year clinical experience.
One hundred and thirty-four patients referred for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) over a 2-year period underwent standardized stimulus dose-titration. No significant adverse events were associated with the dose-titration procedure. Our data demonstrate that seizure threshold increases with age (p = 0.0001) and is higher with bilateral electrode placement (p = 0.0001). Contrary to other studies, our data show the effect of gender is not statistically significant (p = 0.54). If consensus regarding optimal dosing strategies relative to seizure threshold can be achieved, dose-titration may be adopted as a clinically useful step in optimizing ECT technique.
Beale
M D
MD
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425.
Kellner
C H
CH
Pritchett
J T
JT
Bernstein
H J
HJ
Burns
C M
CM
Knapp
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000592:standards*; D004566:Electrodes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012640:Seizures / Q000503:physiopathology; D012737:Sex Factors