Antidepressant medication treatment failure does not predict lower remission with ECT for major depressive disorder: a report from the consortium for research in electroconvulsive therapy.
OBJECTIVE
To test whether antidepressant medication treatment failure predicts differential remission with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in nonpsychotic unipolar depression.


METHODS
Depressed patients diagnosed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV receiving ECT were assessed for medication use with the Antidepressant Treatment History Form (ATHF) (N = 345). Response to ECT was assessed with the 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Baseline medication treatment failure was analyzed as a possible predictor of remission status. Dates of study enrollment were from May 1997 to July 2004.


RESULTS
Resistance to antidepressant medication as assessed by the ATHF, either taken as a whole or for any individual class of medication, was not predictive of acute remission status with ECT.


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment failure with anti-depressant medication does not predict acute remission status with ECT for nonpsychotically depressed patients.
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. rasmussen.keith@mayo.edu
Keith G
KG
Rasmussen
Martina
M
Mueller
Rebecca G
RG
Knapp
Mustafa M
MM
Husain
Teresa A
TA
Rummans
Shirlene M
SM
Sampson
M Kevin
MK
O'Connor
Georgios
G
Petrides
Max
M
Fink
Charles H
CH
Kellner
D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008140:Lorazepam / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000517:prevention & control; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017211:Treatment Failure
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D008140:Lorazepam