Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T06:56:22.908Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Post-ECT Cognitive Defect and Elevation of Blood Pressure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Max Hamilton
Affiliation:
St Luke's Hospital, Crosland Moor, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD4 5RQ
Malcolm J. Stocker
Affiliation:
St Luke's Hospital, Crosland Moor, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD4 5RQ
Christopher M. Spencer
Affiliation:
St Luke's Hospital, Crosland Moor, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD4 5RQ

Summary

There is evidence that ECT causes a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier through the rise of blood pressure it induces. Using the Benton test of cognitive function the day before and three hours after ECT treatment in 27 depressed patients, impairment of function was highly correlated with the maximum rise of systolic BP during the treatment.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Benton, A. L. (1963) The Revised Visual Retention Test. Clinical and Experimental Applications. 3rd Edition. New York: Psychological Corporation.Google Scholar
Bolwig, T. G., Hertz, M. M. & Westergaard, E. (1977a) Acute hypertension causing blood-brain barrier breakdown during epileptic seizures. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, 56, 335–42.Google ScholarPubMed
Bolwig, T. G., Hertz, M. M. & Paulson, O. B. (1977b) The permeability of the blood-brain barrier during electrically induced seizures in man. European Journal of Clinical Investigation, 7, 8793.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Inglis, J. (1959) A paired associate learning test for use with elderly psychiatric patients. Journal of Mental Science, 105, 440–3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Westergaard, E. & Bronsted, H. E. (1974) The effect of acute hypertension on the vesicular transport of proteins in cerebral vessels. Proceedings of the VIIth International Congress of Neuropathology, Budapest. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.