Clinical Neuroscience of ECT (CNECT)

Out on PubMed, from authors in India, is this article: Experience of using electroconvulsive therapy for bipolar disorder: A retrospective study from North India. Grover S, Sharma N, Chakrabarti S. Indian J Psychiatry. 2024 Oct;66(10):973-977. doi: 10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_222_24. Epub 2024 Oct 17. PMID:  39668879   The abstract is copied below: Background: Little information is available on response to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in patients with bipolar disorder (BD) from India. Aim: T his exploratory study aims to evaluate and compare the sociodemographic and clinical profiles, treatment outcomes of BD patients with depression and mania/mixed episode who received ECT and to evaluate the predictors of response to ECT. Results: Data of 278 BD patients who received 325 ECT courses were extracted from the ECT register. The number courses of ECT for bipolar depression (n = 202) exceeded those for mania/mixed episodes (n = 123). In terms of response to ECT...

 In the Indian Journal of Psychiatry is this LTE case report: The pdf is here . I blog about this LTE purely to revisit the issue of ECT in postpartum psychosis. The report is flawed (no ECT details, no discussion of why the patient's blood pressure could not be managed), but is yet another example of the remarkable efficacy of ECT in severe postpartum psychiatric illness.

 Out on PubMed, from authors in China, is this paper: Association of the neutrophil-to-platelet ratio with response to electroconvulsive therapy in adolescents with major depressive disorder. Geng D, Wang W, Du N, Niwenahisemo LC, Xu H, Wang Y, Kuang L. Front Psychiatry. 2024 Nov 25;15:1413608. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1413608. eCollection 2024. PMID:  39655209   The abstract is copied below: Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most serious mental disorders affecting adolescents worldwide. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is widely acknowledged as a first-line treatment for severe depression, but the clinical response varies. Neutrophils and platelets are both related to the progression of MDD. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the neutrophil-to-platelet ratio (NPR) during the acute phase and the effectiveness of ECT treatment. Methods: A total of 138 adolescent MDD patients who received ECT were included in the study. Ne...

 Out on PubMed, from clinicians at Duke, is this case report: Misdiagnosis of Primary Eating Disorder in an Individual With Major Depressive Disorder and Comorbid Catatonic Syndrome. Howard A, Robbins-Welty G, Schindler NJ, Kincaid B, Komisar J. J Psychiatr Pract. 2024 Nov 1;30(6):447-448. doi: 10.1097/PRA.0000000000000825. PMID:  39655974 The abstract is copied below: Catatonia is a neuropsychiatric syndrome affecting movement, emotion, speech, and behavior, which commonly occurs secondary to medical or psychiatric disorders and with comorbid illnesses. We report the case of an 18-year-old male with a history of depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, polysubstance use, and previous suicide attempts who presented to the hospital from a residential eating disorders treatment facility, due to psychomotor slowing. The patient scored 3 or lower on the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS), but he showed marked improvement following 2 mg of intravenou...

  Palliative Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Descriptive Cohort Study. Robbins-Welty GA, Slauer RD, Brown MM, Nakatani MM, Shalev D, Feigal J. J Acad Consult Liaison Psychiatry. 2024 Dec 9:S2667-2960(24)00134-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jaclp.2024.12.001. Online ahead of print. PMID:  39662871 The abstract is copied below: Introduction: Palliative care ( PC ) is the standard of care for patients with serious medical illnesses, or those conditions associated with high risk of mortality and negative impact on quality of life (QOL). Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the gold standard treatment for certain psychiatric conditions, which may co-occur with serious medical illnesses. However, the use of "palliative ECT" (PECT) in this context is understudied. Methods: We conducted a descriptive retrospective cohort study reviewing the indications, outcomes, and regimens of PECT. We included patients who had an ECT consultation, in addition to either a PC consultation or a do-not-attempt-resusci...

 Out on PubMed, from clinicians in Texas, in JECT, is this case report; Clinical Response to Electroconvulsive Therapy in a Young Adult With Down Syndrome Regression Disorder. Kelley BJ, Bailey KJ, Hubregsen JJ. J ECT. 2024 Dec 3. doi: 10.1097/YCT.0000000000001093. Online ahead of print. PMID:  39652068 The abstract is copied below: Down syndrome regression disorder (DSRD) is a condition in which individuals with Down syndrome experience a decline in social and adaptive functioning in adolescence to early adulthood. Initially described as catatonic psychosis and later designated Down syndrome disintegrative disorder (DSDD), the etiology for DSRD remains unclear but has been hypothesized to relate to autoimmune function, stress, and psychiatric disease. DSRD presents heterogeneously and has no clearly established diagnostic criteria, which can complicate treatment recommendations. ECT has been used to successfully treat DSRD, but the number of reported cases remains low, espec...