Effects of modifying the electrode placement and pulse width on cognitive side effects with unilateral ECT: A pilot randomised controlled study with computational modelling

• DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2021.09.014
• Publication Date: 2021-10-08T04:33:40Z
• Authors: Donel M. Martin; Azam Ahmad Bakir; Feng Lin; Rohan Francis-Taylor; Abdulrahman Aldur...; Siwei Bai; Dusan Hadzi-Pavlovic; Socrates Dokos; Colleen K. Loo
• Keywords: Pulse width; Clinical Trials and Supportive Activities; 610; 32 Biomedical and Clinical Sciences; Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry; Pilot Projects; 03 medical and health sciences; anzsrc-for: 32 Biomedical and Clinical Sciences; Cognition; 0302 clinical medicine; Right unilateral; Double-Blind Method; Clinical Research; Memory; Behavioral and Social Science; Humans; Computer Simulation; Electroconvulsive Therapy; Electrodes; anzsrc-for: 42 Health sciences; Neurosciences; 600; 3. Good health; Mental Health; Treatment Outcome; anzsrc-for: 11 Medical and Health Sciences; Computational modelling; Electroconvulsive therapy; RC321-571

BackgroundThe electrode placement and pulse width for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are important treatment parameters associated with ECT related retrograde memory side-effects. Modification of these right unilateral (RUL) may have utility further reducing side-effects.ObjectiveThis study explored use the frontoparietal (FP) side effects ECT. We hypothesised that superior outcomes would occur FP compared to temporoparietal (TP) ultrabrief (UB: 0.3 ms) brief (BP: 1.0 ECT.MethodsIn this randomised cross-over, double-blinded study, participants received a single BP TP, FP, UB TP Neuropsychological testing was conducted prior immediately following each treatment. Computational modelling explore associations between E-fields in regions-of-interest memory.ResultsNine completed study. The not outcomes. For both placements significantly better visual (p < .05). With ECT, higher were greater side-effects (hippocampi: r = −0.77, p .04; inferior frontal gyri: −0.92, .01; middle −0.84, .02).ConclusionsModification pulse-width had than RUL Preliminary findings suggested be cognitive