title: Do SSRIs prolong seizure duration during ECT?
abstract: The effect of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on seizure duration during a course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was evaluated in a retrospective study. Although numbers in the SSRI group were small (n=13), there was a significantly longer seizure duration with SSRIs, compared with tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). More studies are needed to see whether this is a general finding or whether it reflects individual variation, and most importantly, what effects, if any, this has on clinical outcome.
authors.affiliation: Psychopharmacology Unit, University of Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Potokar
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Nutt
keywords: Electroconvulsive therapy; seizure duration; selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors