Generalization, duration, and low-frequency electroencephalographic persistence of bilateral electroconvulsive therapy seizure.
Measurements were made at the beginning and end of a course of bifrontotemporal brief-pulse ECT for 28 males to both determine how well seizure generalization is maintained along the course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and examine correspondence between low-frequency EEG activity and other seizure durations. Durations of spike electroencephalographic (EEG) paroxysmal activity, heart rate elevation, and Ionic-clonic activity decreased about 30% along the course, p < 0.0001, yet correlated highly at both times, I = 0.69 to 0.88, p < 0.0005, as did their changes: these correlations demonstrate high-seizure generalization and its maintenance. EEG low-frequency persistence, the difference between total and spike EEG paroxysmal durations, doubled along the course (p = 0.041), but showed no association with any other seizure duration measure. This absence of association suggests that low-frequency activity and other seizure duration measures describe separate phenomena and should be expressed separately, rather than combined as the (traditional) total EEG paroxysmal duration.
Swartz
C M
CM
Department of Psychiatric Medicine, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greeville, NC 27858-4354, USA.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*