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Catatonia is a neuropsychiatric syndrome involving motor signs in association with disorders of mood, behavior, or thought. Bitemporal electrode placement electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a proven effective treatment for catatonia, and this mode of ECT delivery is the preferred method of treatment in this condition. Studies in major depressive disorder have demonstrated that suprathreshold, nondominant (right) hemisphere, unilateral electrode placement ECT has fewer adverse effects, especially cognitive adverse effects, than bitemporal ECT. This case series describes the use of right unilateral (RUL) ECT in 5 patients with catatonia. Before ECT, all 5 patients in this series initially failed therapy with benzodiazepines and psychotropic medications. Each catatonic patient received a series of 8 to 12 RUL ECT in an every-other-day series. After ECT, 4 of the 5 patients had a full recovery from catatonia. One patient achieved only partial response to RUL ECT, and no additional benefit was obtained with bitemporal ECT. All patients in this case series tolerated RUL ECT without major adverse effects. This case series illustrates successful use of RUL ECT in patients with catatonia and adds to the early literature demonstrating its effective use in treating this complex condition.

Catatonia is a syndrome with prominent motor and behavioral symptoms commonly seen in acutely ill psychiatric patients. Catatonic symptoms have been considered as positive predictors of response to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT); however, few studies so far have addressed the role of ECT treatment technique in schizophrenia. We present the case of a 41-year-old woman with chronic catatonic schizophrenia who was treated successfully with a course of ultrabrief right unilateral ECT.

Objectives: Because the number of medical lawsuits has recently increased in Japan, doses of medication above the upper limits have recently been avoided, even when treating catatonic patients. We treated catatonic symptoms with drugs within the upper limit of dosage and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to determine the maximal response., Methods: We examined 50 consecutive patients with catatonic symptoms admitted to a university hospital during a 32-month period who were treated with either drugs within the upper limit or ECT., Results: Response rates were as follows: ECT, 100%; chlorpromazine, 68%; risperidone, 26%; haloperidol, 16%; and benzodiazepines, 2%., Conclusions: The findings indicated that ECT is the treatment of choice for catatonic symptoms.

Background and Objective: ECT is one of the most efficacious treatments for catatonic schizophrenia. However, there has been no study on the efficacy of ECT in elderly patients with catatonic schizophrenia. Thus, we conducted prospective studies on the short-term (phase 1 study) and long-term (phase 2 study) effects of acute ECT on intractable catatonic schizophrenia in middle-aged and elderly patients., Subjects and Methods: The phase 1 study included 11 consecutive patients over 45 years of age who fulfilled the DSM-IV criteria for catatonic schizophrenia and were referred to Tohoku University Hospital for the first time for acute ECT between January 1, 1998, and August 31, 2003, after other treatments had failed. We evaluated the clinical response of these patients to acute ECT by means of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). We also evaluated adverse effects of acute ECT. The patient or guardian provided written informed consent. Exclusion criterion was a history of dementia or substance abuse. Patients were considered clinical responders if they had a BPRS score ;ek 25 for 1 week after the final ECT session. The phase 2 study included 11 consecutive patients who responded to acute ECT in the phase 1 study. Patients provided written informed consent. Patients' BPRS scores were evaluated weekly (18 items, rated 0-6) for 48 weeks or until relapse/recurrence, during which time they received pharmacotherapy. Patients were considered clinical "relapsers" if they had a BPRS score of at least 37 for 3 consecutive days. Differences in clinical characteristics between patients with and without recurrence were analyzed statistically by the Mann-Whitney U test., Results: All 11 patients completed the phase 1 study, and the acute ECT response rate was 100%. No patient experienced a severe adverse cognitive or physical effect during the course of acute ECT. All 11 patients also completed the phase 2 study. The mean dose of continuation neuroleptics in all 11 cases was 296.8 +/- 277.6 mg (range, 0-982 mg) (chlorpromazine [CPZ] equivalent). Relapse occurred in 7 cases, and all occurred within 6 months. The 1-year recurrence rate was 63.6%. The mean (+/-SD) relapse prevention time in the 7 cases was 76.0 +/- 64.7 days (range, 11-163 days). A significant difference in daily neuroleptic dose before acute ECT was found between the patients suffering recurrence and those not suffering recurrence (766.7 +/- 521.8 CPZ-equivalent mg with recurrence versus 101.9 +/- 75.2 CPZ-equivalent mg without recurrence, U = 2.0, P = 0.923). There was a trend toward a lower Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score just before ECT (7.3 +/- 4.0 with recurrence versus 16.8 +/- 11.2 without recurrence, U = 4.5, P = 0.073)., Conclusions: The short-term efficacy of acute ECT for middle-aged and elderly patients with intractable catatonic schizophrenia is excellent. However, the 1-year recurrence rate, especially the 6-month relapse rate, after response to acute ECT is high, despite continuation pharmacotherapy. The need for more effective relapse-prevention strategies, such as continuation ECT, is urgent.