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Related Experiment Videos

Serum prolactin, electrode placement, and the convulsive threshold during ECT

W V McCall1, R D Weiner, B J Carroll

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.

Convulsive Therapy
|June 1, 1996
PubMed
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Serum prolactin changes (delta PRL) are greater with bilateral compared to right unilateral electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) electrode placement, even when controlling for seizure threshold. This finding clarifies previous research on ECT

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Previous research suggested higher prolactin release with bilateral (BL) compared to right unilateral (RUL) electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
  • These prior studies did not account for individual differences in seizure threshold.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between serum prolactin changes (delta PRL) and ECT electrode placement (BL vs. RUL).
  • To control for convulsive threshold variations when comparing delta PRL between electrode placements.

Main Methods:

  • Twenty-two patients underwent ECT with four electrode placements: threshold RUL, threshold BL, 2.25x threshold RUL, and 2.25x threshold BL.
  • Serum prolactin levels were measured before and 15 minutes after each ECT session.
  • Convulsive threshold was determined for each patient and electrode configuration.

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Main Results:

  • The convulsive threshold was significantly higher for BL electrode placement than for RUL.
  • Greater delta PRL was observed with BL ECT compared to RUL ECT at similar relative stimulus intensities.
  • Delta PRL did not correlate with seizure duration or the absolute stimulus dose.

Conclusions:

  • Bilateral ECT electrode placement is associated with greater serum prolactin release than right unilateral placement, independent of seizure threshold.
  • These findings provide a more precise understanding of hormonal responses to different ECT electrode configurations.