title: Follow-up Study on Electroconvulsive Therapy in Treatment-resistant Depressed Patients after Remission: A Chart Review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has proven to be effective in treatment-resistant depression (TRD). In recent reports, 70% to 90% of patients with TRD responded to ECT. However, post-ECT relapse is a significant problem. There are no studies investigating risk factors associated with reintroducing ECT in depressive patients after remission previously achieved with former ECT. The aim of the present study is to examine such risk factors using a sample of TRD patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a chart review to examine patient outcomes and adverse events over short- and long-term periods. Forty-two patients met the criteria for major depressive disorder.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 85.7% (36/42). There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics of patients exhibiting remission, response or non-response. The rate of adverse events was 21.4% (9/42). Among 34 patients who were available for follow-up, 18 patients relapsed (relapse rate, 52.9%), and 6 patients were reintroduced to ECT. The patients' age and age of onset were significantly higher in the re-ECT group than non re-ECT group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that older age and older age of onset might be considered for requirement of re-ECT after remission previously achieved with former ECT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tokutsu
authors.forename: Wakako
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Umene-Nakano
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shinkai
authors.forename: Reiji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Asuka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katsuki
authors.forename: Hikaru
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ikenouchi-Sugita
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Kiyokazu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Atake
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nakamura
keywords: Aging; Drug therapy; Electroconvulsive therapy; Treatment resistant depression