Maintenance electroconvulsive therapy: An effective yet underused treatment modality in psychiatry: A case series

Malvika Raju Tukra 1 and Nishikant M. Thorat 2, *

1 Junior Resident, Department of Psychiatry, B J Government Medical College, Pune, India.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, B J Government Medical College, Pune, India.
 
Research Article
International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 2024, 11(02), 1233–1239.
Article DOI: 10.30574/ijsra.2024.11.2.0576

 

Publication history: 
Received on 23 February 2024; revised on 03 April 2024; accepted on 06 April 2024
 
Abstract: 
Maintenance Electroconvulsive Therapy (M-ECT) refers to ECTs administered beyond 6 months after the remission of illness. Maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (M-ECT) can be used to reduce the risk for relapse and recurrence of illness in patients who fare poorly with standard medication regimens. There is improvement in the relapse rate of  major psychiatric disorders when continuation or maintenance (C or M-ECT) are used with psychotropics. These are  single-center, retrospective case studies of patients diagnosed with major psychiatric disorders (as per International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition) who are receiving M-ECT in Department of Psychiatry, B.J. Government Medical College and Sassoon Hospital, Pune. We included 12 patients- 8 males and 4 females in this study.  4 cases were of patients suffering from schizophrenia, 3 cases were of patients suffering from depression, 1 case of bipolar affective disorder and 4 cases of patients of intellectual disability with psychosis. There was a reduction in hospitalization rate for acute exacerbation and significant improvement in the patients’ overall functioning on standardized rating scales without any significant adverse effects. Maintenance ECT is an underused treatment option that can substantially reduce risks of relapse in patients with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia as well. Despite the potential value of these ECT schedules, these are relatively neglected in clinical practice. This article aims to explore the clinical utility of maintenance ECTs and emphasizes the use of maintenance ECTs in routine psychiatric care.
 
Keywords: 
Maintenance Electroconvulsive Therapy; Schizophrenia; Recurrent Depressive Disorder; Bipolar Affective Disorder; Intellectual Disability with Psychosis.
 
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