Classics in ECT: Fleminger and Bunce on Cerebral Dominance for Unilateral ECT-1975

"Classics in ECT" brings you this English study from 1975:

The pdf is here.

The Tables are here:

From the Methods:

Verbal memory was tested after each of the first two ECTs. The interval between treatments was two or three days during which any medication was unchanged. Theratronic's Transpsycon machine was used. The dose in joules was the same (usually 25) for each treatment; likewise the doses of anaesthetic methohexitone sodium and the muscle relaxant succinylcholine. 

And from the Discussion:

Of our 12 left-handed writers, eight (67%) had scores suggesting left-sided dominance on a single pair of tests. Left dominance was indicated in five of eight sinistrals and in seven of 10 with mixed handedness. Thus, 12 of 18 (67%) of our non-dextral patients were left dominant onthis assessment. This finding is in line with 28 of44 (64%) left and mixed-handed patients in whom the intracarotid amylobarbitone test showed left speech dominance(Milner et al., 1964), and we consider that it strengthens the case for developing unilateral ECT as a technique for establishing dominance. Results in accord with this were found in eight of 12 (67%) 'left-handers' after two alternating pairs of ECT (Pratt et al., 1971) and in 15 of 24 (63%) 'left- handers' after a single pair of ECTs (Warrington and Pratt,1973).

While the details of this study are boring, the overall issue of cerebral language dominance is fascinating. If 10% of the world's population is left-handed, and 25-30% of them are right hemisphere dominant, then 2-3% of ECT patients should be candidates for left unilateral ECT.

I would love to hear if any blog reader knows of the existence of a Theratronic's Transpsycon ECT device.