To Örebro University

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the long-term effects of maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (M-ECT) with medication and medication only in patients with depression.

METHODS: A randomized controlled trial of 1 year of M-ECT with medication or medication only investigated relapse/recurrence among 56 patients in remission after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for depression was conducted. The results of the first year are published already and showed a significant advantage of M-ECT with medication.The current study was a long-term follow-up. When the randomized treatment allocation ended, medication was continued in both groups but M-ECT was terminated. Patients were followed for up to 10 years via Swedish national registers until the study endpoint of a new psychiatric diagnosis as an inpatient, suicide, suspected suicide, or death of another cause. Time to relapse was compared between the M-ECT with medication group and the medication-only group using Kaplan-Meier estimates.

RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 6.5 years for the M-ECT and medication group and 3.1 years for the medication-only group. One year after randomization 22 patients remained in the M-ECT and medication group, and 14 patients remained in the medication-only group. Relapse patterns between the treatment groups after the completion of M-ECT seemed to be similar according to visual inspection.

CONCLUSIONS: This long-term follow-up study suggests that most of the benefit achieved during the treatment period with M-ECT is maintained over several years, but the small sample size, with accompanying large statistical imprecision, makes the results uncertain. More long-term studies of M-ECT are required.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00627887.

Objectives: The aims of the present study were to describe the short-term rate of subjective memory worsening (SMW) and identify factors of importance for SMW in a large clinical sample treated for depression with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Methods: This register-based study included 1212 patients from the Swedish National Quality Register for ECT. Subjective memory worsening was defined as a 2-point worsening on the memory item of the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale from before to within 1 week after treatment. Associations between patient characteristics and treatment factors were examined using logistic regression.

Results: Subjective memory worsening was experienced in 26%. It was more common in women than in men (31% vs 18%; P < 0.001) and more common in patients aged 18 to 39 years than in patients 65 years or older (32% vs 22%; P = 0.008). Patients with less subjective memory disturbances before ECT had a greater risk of SMW. Patients in remission after ECT had a lower risk of SMW. A brief pulse width stimulus gave higher risk of SMW compared with ultrabrief pulse (odds ratio, 1.61; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-2.47).

Conclusions: Subjective memory worsening is reported by a minority of patients. However, young women are at risk of experiencing SMW. Ultrabrief pulse width stimulus could be considered for patients treated with unilateral electrode placement who experience SMW. Each patient should be monitored with regard to symptoms and adverse effects, and treatment should be adjusted on an individual basis to maximize the clinical effect and with efforts to minimize the cognitive adverse effects.

OBJECTIVES: One adverse effect of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is dental fracture; thus, a bite guard and muscle relaxants are used to prevent it. Earlier research reported varying rates of dental fracture, but there is no large-scale study on the incidence of dental fracture during ECT. This study aimed to examine the incidence of dental fracture during ECT and to investigate whether the incidence differs between different sexes, age groups, diagnosis groups, electrode placements, or number of treatment sessions.

METHODS: This register-based study used data from the Swedish national quality register for ECT. All hospitals offering ECT report to this register, and the coverage ratio is about 90%. All registered patients who started an ECT series between January 2012 and January 2019 were included in this study, with the data representing 16,681 individuals, 38,862 series, and 254,906 sessions.

RESULTS: Forty-six dental fractures were identified, giving an incidence of dental fracture of 0.2% per series, 0.02% per session, and 0.3% per individual. We did not find any significant associations between dental fracture rates and male or female populations, age, or different diagnosis groups, nor was there any significant difference between dental fracture rates and electrode placement. The mean number of treatments was significantly higher in the dental fracture group than in patients without dental fracture.

CONCLUSIONS: There is a minimal risk of dental fracture during ECT. Our findings, together with those of other studies, provide further motivation for the use of a bite guard and muscle relaxant.

OBJECTIVES: It is uncertain if there are variations in the improvement of quality in life between sexes and age groups after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The aim of this study was to investigate how health-related quality of life changed after treatment and to examine differences in the results between sex and age groups.

METHODS: This register-based study used data from the Swedish national quality register for ECT. The study population was patients diagnosed with depression who had received ECT. Health-related quality of life was quantified using the 3-level version the EuroQol 5-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D 3 L). Analysis of variance was used to compare change in EQ-5D score from pretreatment to posttreatment between sex and age groups.

RESULTS: There was a statistically significant improvement in EQ-5D index score and EQ visual analog scale (VAS) score in all patient groups after ECT. The mean improvement in EQ-5D index score and EQ-VAS score ranged from 0.31 to 0.46 and 28.29 to 39.79, respectively. Elderly patients had greater improvement in EQ-5D index score and EQ-VAS score than younger patients. There was no significant difference in improvement between the sexes. The mean improvement in EQ-5D index score was 0.40 for male patients and 0.41 for female patients.

CONCLUSIONS: Electroconvulsive therapy had a considerable effect on health-related quality of life in patients with depression of both sexes and all age groups. The improvement was greatest in elderly patients, who more often had psychotic features. More studies are needed to investigate the long-term effects of ECT and to further explain the varying treatment results between elderly and younger patients.

Objectives: The use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) varies across countries. The aim of this study was to describe and explore the use of ECT in Sweden in 2013.

Methods: The Swedish mandatory patient register of the National Board of Health and Welfare includes information on diagnoses and treatments, including ECT. All 56 hospitals that provide ECT in Sweden also report to the nonmandatory national quality register for ECT, which contains information on patient and treatment characteristics. In this study, we combined data from both registers. In addition, all hospitals responded to a survey concerning equipment and organization of ECT.

Results: We identified 3972 unique patients who received ECT in Sweden in 2013. This translates into 41 ECT-treated individuals per 100,000 inhabitants. Of these patients, 85% opted to participate in the quality register. The median age was 55 years (range, 15-94 years), and 63% were women. The indication was depression in 78% of the treatment series. Of 4 711 hospitalized patients with severe depression, 38% received ECT. The median number of treatments per index series was 7. Unilateral treatment was used in 86% of the series.

Conclusions: In Sweden, ECT is used at a relatively high rate as compared with other western countries, and the rate was unchanged from the last survey in 1975. However, there is room for improvement in the specificity of use and availability of ECT for disorders where ECT is considered a first-line treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that relapse prevention with continuation electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) plus pharmacotherapy is more effective than pharmacotherapy alone after a course of ECT for depression.

METHODS: A multicenter, nonblinded, randomized controlled trial with 2 parallel groups was performed from 2008 to 2012 in 4 hospitals in Sweden. Patients eligible had unipolar or bipolar depression and had responded to a course of ECT. The patients (n = 56) were randomly assigned (1:1) to receiving either 29 treatments of continuation ECT with pharmacotherapy or pharmacotherapy alone for 1 year. The pharmacotherapy consisted of antidepressants (98%), lithium (56%), and antipsychotics (30%). The main outcome was relapse of depression within 1 year. Relapse was defined as 20 or more points on the Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale or inpatient psychiatric care or suicide or suspected suicide. All 56 patients randomized were analyzed according to an intention to treat analysis.

RESULTS: Sixty-one percent of the patients treated with pharmacotherapy versus 32% of the patients treated with ECT plus pharmacotherapy relapsed within 1 year (P = 0.036). The Cox proportional hazard ratio was 2.32 (1.03-5.22).Cognitive function and memory measures were stable for patients without relapse in both groups.One suspected suicide and 3 suicide attempts by intoxication occurred, all in the pharmacotherapy-alone group.

CONCLUSIONS: The post-ECT relapse rates were substantial in both treatment groups with a statistically significant advantage for combined treatment with pharmacotherapy and continuation ECT. Further studies are needed to define indications for continuation ECT, pharmacotherapy, and their combination.

OBJECTIVES: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is used in some cases of postpartum depression (PPD) and postpartum psychosis (PPP). The risk of relapse for PPD and PPP after ECT is unknown. This study compared the relapse rate after ECT between women who had been treated for PPD and/or PPP and women who had been treated for depression and/or psychosis outside the postpartum period.

METHODS: The Swedish National Quality Register for ECT and the Swedish National Patient Register were used to identify women with PPD and/or PPP who had been treated with ECT within 6 months after delivery. For each case, a control (treated with ECT but not postpartum) patient was also selected. A Kaplan-Meier estimator was used to calculate the relapse rate (defined as rehospitalization or suicide) after ECT. Cox regression was used to identify variables associated with relapse.

RESULTS: A total of 180 patients were included in each group. The proportions of patients who suffered relapse after 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years were 28%, 31%, and 40% for the postpartum group and 39%, 50%, and 55% for the nonpostpartum group. Treatment with benzodiazepines, several previous psychiatric admissions, and the absence of improvement after ECT were associated with relapse.

CONCLUSIONS: The risk of relapse after ECT is lower for patients with PPD and/or PPP than for patients outside the postpartum period, but the risk is nonetheless substantial in both groups.

OBJECTIVES: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) are both effective in treating depression. Although rTMS induces fewer adverse effects, its effectiveness relative to ECT is not well established. The aim of this study was to investigate the treatment outcomes of ECT and rTMS in patients who have received both interventions.

METHODS: This was a register-based observational crossover study in patients with depression who had undergone ECT and rTMS in Sweden between 2012 and 2021. Primary outcome was reduction in the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale-Self-report (MADRS-S) score. Secondary outcome was response defined as a 50% or greater decrease in the MADRS-S score. Subgroup analyses were performed to identify factors that predicted differential responses between rTMS and ECT. Continuous and categorical variables were analyzed using paired-samples t tests and McNemar tests, respectively.

RESULTS: In total, 138 patients across 19 hospitals were included. The MADRS-S score after ECT and rTMS was reduced by 15.0 and 5.6 (P = 0.0001) points, respectively. Response rates to ECT and rTMS were 38% and 15% (P = 0.0001), respectively. Electroconvulsive therapy was superior across all subgroups classified according to age and severity of depression.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that ECT is more effective than rTMS in treating depression among patients who have received both interventions. Age and baseline depression severity did not predict who would similarly benefit from rTMS and ECT.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the 0.5-millisecond pulse width with broader brief width stimulus and ultrabrief pulse width stimulus in respect to rates of subjective memory impairment and remission 6 months after completion of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

METHODS: This study used data from the Swedish National Quality Register for ECT. Inclusion criteria were bipolar or unipolar depression with or without psychosis, ECT with unilateral electrode placement, and data on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale-Self-Assessment and the memory item of the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale (CPRS-M) before and 6 months after ECT. The primary outcomes were the distributions of patients with a maximum of 10 on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale-Self-Assessment (remission) and a minimum of 2-step worsening in CPRS-M score according to the ECT pulse widths of <0.5, 0.5, and >0.5 millisecond.

RESULT: This study included 312 patients. The distributions of patients with remission or a minimum of 2-step worsening on the CPRS-M 6 months after completion of ECT showed no significant differences between the 3 pulse width groups. Older age was associated with a significantly higher rate of remission 6 months after ECT.

CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of patients, no support was found for the previous research finding of lower rates of subjective memory disturbances 6 months after ultrabrief pulse width ECT in comparison with brief pulse width ECT. Older age was associated with higher remission rate 6 months after ECT. Large randomized studies are required to exclude the possibility of long-term differential effects between pulse widths.