Am J Psychiatry 1989; 146:1041-1043
Copyright © 1989 by American Psychiatric Association
Differential effects of right unilateral and bilateral ECT on heart rate
RD Lane, SB Zeitlin, R Abrams and CM Swartz
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Health Sciences/Chicago Medical School, IL 60064.
In a series of 11 melancholic patients who received both right unilateral
and bilateral ECT during a single course of treatment, mean and minimum
postictal heart rates were greater after bilateral ECT. Greater
catecholamine release during bilateral ECT is the most likely explanation
for these effects. These differences complement other evidence that
bilateral ECT has a more pronounced physiological impact than unilateral
ECT.
