Recovery after electroconvulsive therapy: comparison of propofol with methohexitone anaesthesia

We have studied prospectively 39 patients receiving a course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for major depressive disorder; they were allocated randomly to receive either propofol or methohexitone for anaesthesia. Recovery after the third ECT treatment was assessed by finger tap and digit symbol substitution tests at 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 min after induction. Seizure duration (median (interquartile range)) was shorter with propofol (24 (10) s) than methohexitone (29 (17) s) (P = 0.08). There was no significant difference in psychometric recovery for drug type, duration of the seizure or initial severity of depression. These results suggest that the more rapid recovery rates noted with propofol in other procedures are not evident after electrically induced seizures.