Blood Pressure, Memory, and Electroconvulsive Therapy.
Blood pressure changes recorded during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in 23 psychiatric in-patients with major depressive disorders correlated with and predicted the degree of anterograde memory changes measured 48-72 h after ECT. The Randt memory test was the principal measure of memory change. A subgroup of older patients with cardiovascular illness received trimethaphan, a ganglionic blocker that impedes a hypertensive surge during the treatment. They did not differ in memory function from a younger subgroup that did not receive trimethaphan. Control of the hypertensive response in the older age group counterbalanced the additional memory dysfunction that was anticipated as a result of advanced age and cardiovascular pathology.
Zervas
Iannis M.
IM
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York, USA.
Calev
Avraham
A
Jandorf
Lina
L
Fink
Max
M