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. 2019 Jul-Dec;28(2):286-293.
doi: 10.4103/ipj.ipj_105_20. Epub 2020 Aug 14.

Therapeutic and prophylactic role of cognitive enhancers in electroconvulsive therapy-induced cognitive deficits

Jyoti Prakash  1 , Suprakash Chaudhury  1 , Kaushik Chatterjee  1 , A Kotwal  2 , Kalpana Srivastava  1 , Amitav Saha  3
Affiliations

Therapeutic and prophylactic role of cognitive enhancers in electroconvulsive therapy-induced cognitive deficits

Jyoti Prakash et al. Ind Psychiatry J. 2019 Jul-Dec.

Abstract

Objectives: The objective is to evaluate the pattern of cognitive deficits after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT); to ascertain the role of various psychosocial, illness and treatment-related parameters on cognitive functions after ECT; and to evaluate the effect of donepezil on various cognitive deficits.

Materials and methods: A triple-blind randomized controlled trial was undertaken. Ninety patients undergoing ECT were included into study after due consent and institutional ethical approval. They were randomized into two groups: one using donepezil with ECT and the other using placebo with ECT. Various cognitive parameters were studied before ECT, after a course of ECT and after 4 weeks of last ECT. Findings were assessed in the light of available socialdemographic and clinical parameters and existing literature.

Results: ECT was found to be an effective therapeutic modality. Immediate memory worsened over the course of ECT till after 4 weeks of ECT. Augmentation of donepezil was found useful. It sped up the improvement of general memory and working memory during ECT.

Conclusion: Donepezil has therapeutic and prophylactic benefit on cognition of patients undergoing ECT over the course of treatment till 4 weeks after the ECT.

Keywords: Cognition; donepezil; electroconvulsive therapy; immediate memory.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

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