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Cortical blindness associated with electroconvulsive therapy
Sushma Sonavane1, Suresh Borade, Suhas Gajbhiye
1Department of Psychiatry, Lokmanya Tilak Memorial Medical College and General Hospital, Sion, Bombay, India.
The Journal of ECT
|June 28, 2006
Summary
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) rarely causes neurological issues. A patient experienced temporary blindness and confusion after ECT, suggesting a rare adverse effect possibly linked to seizures.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Neurological syndromes linked to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are infrequently documented.
- ECT is a treatment for severe mental health conditions, including manic episodes.
Observation:
- An adult male patient undergoing ECT for a manic episode developed prolonged confusion and temporary bilateral vision loss.
- The visual impairment occurred immediately following the eighth ECT treatment.
Findings:
- Neurological examination and brain CT scan were normal, apart from the transient blindness and amnesia.
- The patient's vision returned to normal the next morning, with complete amnesia for the preceding day's events.
- The symptoms suggest a diagnosis of transient cortical blindness.
Implications:
- Transient cortical blindness is a rare, likely adverse effect of electroconvulsive therapy.
- The visual disturbances observed may be related to mechanisms underlying visual impairment associated with epileptic seizures.