Classics in ECT: Gonda on ECT Response Prediction 1964

"Classics in ECT" brings you this this study from 1964  from California:

PREDICTION OF SHORT-TERM OUTCOME OF ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY.


GONDA TA.

J Nerv Ment Dis. 1964 Jun;138:587-94.PMID: 14165148 

The pdf is here.

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This paper reports on 50 patients who got ECT in a 4,000-bed (!) state hospital in San Jose, California.

It looks at the predictive value of three measures:

1) the "methacholine-epinephrine" (Funkenstein) test

2)  the MMPI Prognosis scale (52-item)

3) clinical prognosis (as judged by the treating MD)

"Clinical prognosis" (#3) was the clear winner, and the clinical predictors of ECT response listed above (in the discussion) have, remarkably, stood the test of time; a current list would be largely the same.

The Funkenstein test now seems ridiculous, but hindsight is 20/20...Interestingly, it seems that its predictive value may merely have been due to the correlation between blood pressure changes and age.

The best parts of this paper are the introduction and the discussion. I suggest reading those parts (~5 minutes) and skipping the questionable methodology sections...