Past Issues

Objective: Previous studies have demonstrated that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may influence auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) P300 by modulating neurotransmitters in the brain. This study compared the changes of AEPs P300 in treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients before and after receiving 12 courses of ECT treatment.
Methods: Thirty-one treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients received P300 and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) assessments before, one week after, and one month after the ECT course.
Results: BPRS scores declined significantly after the ECT course and remained significantly reduced at one month after ECT. The amplitude of the AEPs P300 was increased at one week after the ECT course. However, there was no significant difference between the P300 at one month after the ECT course and baseline levels. Conclusions: This study has demonstrated that treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients show improvement in psychiatric symptoms and the AEPs P300 amplitude at one week after a course of ECT. (Full text in Chinese)