Melancholia and ECT Response Prediction: New Study From the CARE Network
Out on PubMed, from researchers in Australia and Singapore, is this study: The utility of the Sydney Melancholia Prototype Index (SMPI) for predicting response to electroconvulsive therapy in depression: A CARE Network study. Waite S, Tor PC, Mohan T, Davidson D, Hussain S, Dong V, Loo CK, Martin DM. J Psychiatr Res. 2022 Aug 19;155:180-185. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.08.011. Online ahead of print. PMID: 36054966 The abstract is copied below: An enhanced understanding of clinical predictors of positive ECT outcome could assist with the decision to prescribe ECT for select patients. Reliable predictors of ECT response such as psychotic symptoms and age have been identified, however, studies of melancholia and ECT response have been inconsistent. The Sydney Melancholia Prototype Index (SMPI) is a clinical measure designed to differentiate melancholic and non-melancholic depression. This study aimed to investigate whether melancholic depression (as measured by the clinician rated ve