Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Dec;36(4):265-271.
doi: 10.1097/YCT.0000000000000693.

Recurrence After Stopping Maintenance Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Retrospective Case Series

Clémence Cabelguen  1 , Pascal Caillet  2 , Emmanuel Poulet, David Szekely  3 , Thomas Desmidt, Anne Pichot  1 , Jean-Marie Vanelle  1 , Anne Sauvaget, Samuel Bulteau
Affiliations

Recurrence After Stopping Maintenance Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Retrospective Case Series

Clémence Cabelguen et al. J ECT. 2020 Dec.

Abstract

Objectives: Relapses and recurrence remain the greatest risks posed by patients with severe mood disorders after discontinuation of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). To date, despite a wide range of literature on ECT, little is known about the rate of recurrence of depression after maintenance ECT (mECT) discontinuation specifically. This study sought to address this lacuna, confronting literature data to the results of a retrospective case study.

Methods: A comprehensive review was conducted, followed by a retrospective analysis of 18 cases of mECT discontinuation between January 2011 and June 2016 involving patients with affective disorders.

Results: The comprehensive review revealed that only 3 studies have assessed recurrence rate after c/mECT discontinuation. In our retrospective analysis, mean (SD) mECT duration was 12.69 (12.16) months. A new mood event (usually a depressive state) was observed in 50% of the cases, and 44% of those recurrences occurred during the first 6 months after discontinuation.

Discussion: Given that high recurrence rates are observed after mECT discontinuation, the authors discuss the advantages of long-term mECT and the choice of concomitant pharmacotherapy for severe and complex affective disorders.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Fink M. Convulsive therapy: a review of the first 55 years. J Affect Disord. 2001;63:1–15.
    1. UK ECT Review Group. Efficacy and safety of electroconvulsive therapy in depressive disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. 2003;361:799–808.
    1. Kellner CH. Relapse after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). J ECT. 2013;29:1–2.
    1. American Psychiatric Association. The Practice of Electroconvulsive Therapy: Recommendations for Treatment, Training and Privileging. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press; 2001.
    1. Petrides G, Tobias KG, Kellner CH, et al. Continuation and maintenance electroconvulsive therapy for mood disorders: review of the literature. Neuropsychobiology. 2011;64:129–140.

LinkOut - more resources