J Med Assoc Thai 2000; 83 (7):748

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Seizure Threshold in Electroconvulsive Therapy: III. A Long-Term Study
Chanpattana W Mail, Yatapootanon W , Techakasem P

There has been a dearth of long-term studies investigating the seizure-threshold changes
in patients receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). This study aimed to determine changes
in seizure threshold over acute, continuation, and maintenance ECT (Phases I, II, and Ill). Twenty
schizophrenic patients were estimated to have a seizure threshold by the dose-titration method.
All patients had a rise in seizure threshold at the end of Phase I with 185
เธ‘
196 per cent incre-
ments. Ten patients had a further threshold-increase at the sixth month (Phase II, n
=
20), and four
at the twelfth month (Phase III, n
=
14). The overall threshold-increases of Phases II and III were
370
เธ‘
342 per cent and 416
เธ‘
427 per cent, respectively. Seizure-threshold increases were robust
during acute ECT, and tended to reach a plateau over the continuation and maintenance
phases.
Key
word
: Electroconvulsive Therapy, Schizophrenia, Changes in Seizure Threshold, Acute and
Maintenance Treatments, Anticonvulsant Effects

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