Electroconvulsive therapy: an effective therapy of medication-resistant bipolar disorder.
OBJECTIVE
We report our experience with a medication-refractory patient with bipolar I disorder, who remained clinically stable under continuation electroconvulsive therapy (C-ECT). We found ECT to be effective in providing functionality for a patient when various medications had failed.


RESULTS
A 53-year-old woman with a 31-year history of recurrent manic and depressive episodes poorly responsive to medications warranted an ECT trial. Remission was achieved after 12 treatments and C-ECT at weekly intervals was used as maintenance therapy. C-ECT was continued for 37 months and 85 treatments, and discontinued when anesthetic difficulties precluded further treatment. Three months after the last ECT, she was readmitted in a severe manic relapse. Restarting ECT caused rapid remission. There are no signs of cognitive deterioration during C-ECT.


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term C-ECT is an effective and safe prophylactic treatment in individual treatment-resistant patients with bipolar disorder.
Sienaert
Pascal
P
ECT Department and Department of Mood Disorders, University Centre Sint-Josef, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kortenberg, Belgium. pascal.sienaert@uc-kortenberg.be
Peuskens
Joseph
J
D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome