Classic in ECT: Abrams/Fink Comparison of BL and RUL From 1972

"Classics in ECT" brings you this early Abrams comparison of RUL and BL ECT from 1972:



The pdf is here.
The article is copied below:




This early Abrams/Fink et al. paper in the Archives is a naturalistic comparison of RUL and BL ECT done at Gracie Square Hospital in New York City in the early 1970s. It has some quaint quirks, including the Lancaster position for the RUL, and multiple seizures/session (attending's discretion) in the RUL arm. The findings are: slightly better efficacy with BL, slightly fewer cognitive effects with RUL, and different EEG patterns from the two techniques. Later studies from these authors, in the 1980s and 90s, with more methodological rigor, largely confirm these findings. 
This paper is written in the clear style that is an Abrams/Fink hallmark; I recommend a full read, ~15 minutes, to all those interested in the history of the electrode placement discussion in ECT.

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