Treatment of mania: a naturalistic study of electroconvulsive therapy versus lithium in 438 patients.

Abstract

The efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), adequate lithium therapy, inadequate lithium therapy, and neither ECT nor lithium therapy was compared by reviewing the charts of 438 patients hospitalized because of mania over a 12-year period. A significantly (p less than .05) greater percentage (78%) of patients who received ECT had "marked improvement" than did those who received either adequate or inadequate lithium treatment (62% and 56%, respectively) or neither treatment (37%). Of the patients with schizoaffective disorder, manic type, 87.5% who received ECT showed "marked improvement"; almost 70% of patients who failed to respond to adequate lithium had "marked improvement" with ECT. Unilateral and bilateral ECTs were equally effective. Psychosis was not useful in predicting treatment response. ECT was demonstrated to be an effective treatment for mania.

• Authors: D W Black, G Winokur, A Nasrallah
• Journal: The Journal of clinical psychiatry (J Clin Psychiatry) Vol. 48 Issue 4 Pg. 132-9 (Apr 1987) ISSN: 0160-6689 [Print] United States
• PMID: 3104316 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Lithium Carbonate
• Lithium

Topics

• Adult
• Age Factors
• Bipolar Disorder (drug therapy, psychology, therapy)
• Delusions (psychology)
• Electroconvulsive Therapy (methods)
• Evaluation Studies as Topic
• Female
• Hallucinations (psychology)
• Hospitalization
• Humans
• Length of Stay
• Lithium (therapeutic use)
• Lithium Carbonate
• Male
• Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
• Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
• Psychotic Disorders (drug therapy, psychology, therapy)
• Research Design
• Retrospective Studies