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Indian Journal of Psychiatry logoLink to Indian Journal of Psychiatry
. 1998 Oct-Dec;40(4):322–326.

RESPONSE TO FIRST ECT IN DEPRESSION : A PREDICTOR OF OUTCOME

Nitin Gupta *, Ajit Avasthi *,*, Parmanand Kulhara
PMCID: PMC2966682  PMID: 21494495

Abstract

Response to first ECT in depression and its value as a predictor of response to ECT is a poorly researched subject. Twenty-two antidepressant-free patients of severe depression (ICD - 10) were administered a course of 6 ECTs using bilateral sine-wave electrical stimulation with serial assessments on Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Using ‘a priori’ definition for ‘good response’ (≥ 60% reduction is baseline HDRS scores) patients were grouped and analysed. The reduction in HDRS scores after first ECT was significantly greater for Good Responders (GR) in comparison to ‘Poor responders’. It appeared that ≥ 9% reduction in baseline HDRS scores after the first ECT was associated with ‘Good Response’. Thus, it can be concluded that response to first ECT could be taken as a viable predictor of response in depression.

Keywords: Electroconvulsive therapy, depression, predictor, response

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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