Am J Psychiatry 1981; 138:486-489
Copyright © 1981 by American Psychiatric Association
Use of ECT with treatment-resistant depressed patients at the National Institute of Mental Health
SM Paul, I Extein, HM Calil, WZ Potter, P Chodoff and FK Goodwin
The authors review the use of ECT with nine seriously depressed patients at
the National Institute of Mental Health over the past 8 years. Despite the
patients' poor prior response to a variety of pharmacological treatments,
only one patient failed to show a complete response to ECT. With most
patients, improvement was quite rapid and dramatic, and all of the ECT
responders were free of depression for at least 1 year after treatment.
These results are consistent with previous studies; they deserve reemphasis
now in light of recent controversies over ECT, including legislative and
judicial attempts to restrict its use.
