[Role of electroconvulsive therapy in treating schizophrenia]

Almost half a century has elapsed since the initial application of ECT in psychiatric clinic. It is currently, debatable whether or not ECT in still applicable in schizophrenia, though its effects for manic-depressive disorders is well established. The authors summarized their experiences in evaluating 300 cases, one half use antipsychotic drugs alone and the other half use drugs with ECT it was found that combined therapy favors both groups of patients with aggressiveness or excitement and group with negativism or catatonia as compared in a duration of 2 weeks, whereas patients with hallucinations of suicidal attempts also benefited in 4 weeks' term. On the contrary the combined therapy in the long run is of no value in patients with delusion.