Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci.  2018 Aug;16(3):339-342. 10.9758/cpn.2018.16.3.339.

The Effects of Continuation-Maintenance Electroconvulsive Therapy on Reducing Hospital Re-Admissions in Patients with Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia

• Choi KM
• Choi SH
• Hong JK
• Lee MH
• Jung JH
• Oh SH
• Jung DC
• Kim SN

• KMID: 2419989
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.9758/cpn.2018.16.3.339

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Continuation-maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (C/M-ECT) is used to prevent relapse or recurrence in patients with severe mental illnesses. We aimed to investigate the effect of C/M-ECT on reducing hospital re-admissions in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia.
METHODS
We applied a mirror-image design by retrospectively examining re-hospitalization rates of 18 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. We compared the numbers of psychiatric admissions during the actual period over which C/M-ECT was administered with the same period prior to the beginning of C/M-ECT.
RESULTS
The number of psychiatric admissions was reduced significantly during C/M-ECT (0.33±0.77) compared with that of the same period prior to C/M-ECT (2.67±1.33) (Wilcoxon signed rank Z=−3.663; p < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
This finding shows that C/M-ECT augmentation could successfully reduce the re-hospitalization rates in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia.

Keyword

Electroconvulsive therapy; Schizophrenia; Treatment-resistance; Recurrence; Hospitalization

MeSH Terms

Electroconvulsive Therapy*
Hospitalization
Humans
Recurrence
Retrospective Studies
Schizophrenia*