Cognitive status of psychiatric patients under maintenance electroconvulsive therapy: a one-year longitudinal study

In recent years, maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (M-ECT) has been a common treatment within psychiatric practice. Little information is available regarding the cognitive risks of this treatment, however. In this study, twenty psychiatric outpatients were assessed during M-ECT and 1 year later on treatment. A comprehensive cognitive battery was administered, and a separate comparison group was used to calculate the Reliable Change Index. Global cognitive measures showed no significant difference in scores over time. Our results concur with those described in case reports and suggest that there is no significant association between cognitive decline and M-ECT.