Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Pupillary Response as Assessment of Effective Seizure Induction by Electroconvulsive Therapy
Published on: April 11, 2019
A comparison of propofol and thiopentone use in electroconvulsive therapy: cognitive and efficacy effects
Anna Ingram1, Isaac Schweitzer, Chee H Ng
1Department of Psychology, The University of Melbourne, Australia. Ingram@healthscope.com.au
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to compare thiopentone and propofol administration for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in terms of associated efficacy and cognitive side effects in the immediate and medium term.
Method:
Participants comprised 30 depressed patients who were administered either propofol or thiopentone as an anesthetic agent for ECT. Clinical rating scales and a battery of neuropsychological tests were administered at baseline, after 6 treatments, 1 to 3 days after treatment end point, and at 1-month follow-up.
Results:
Thiopentone administration was associated with advantages in efficacy and cognitive side effects compared with propofol administration.
Conclusions:
This study reports some serendipitous findings regarding the comparative effects of the anesthetic agents, propofol and thiopentone. Although limited by small sample size, results suggest that thiopentone has advantages for use as an anesthetic agent with ECT compared with propofol. It also highlights the need for further investigation of the impact of anesthetic agents on the cognitive side effects and efficacy of ECT.
Related Concept Videos
Electroconvulsive Therapy
Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview
Antiepileptic Drugs: GABAergic Pathway Potentiators
The key GABA pathway potentiators used in epilepsy management are as follows.
Benzodiazepines are a well-known class of drugs used for their...
Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview
Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy
