Post-electroconvulsive therapy cognitive alterations

Introduction ectroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a medical treatment most often used for patients with severe major depression or bipolar disorder who have not responded to other treatments, as well resistant schizophrenia, and consists of brief electrical stimulation the brain while patient under anesthesia. It usually administered by team trained health care professionals, including psychiatrist, an anesthesiologist nurse physician assistant. The mode action known, but it assumed that ECT associated significant reduction in connections dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which decrease depressive symptoms. This would support hypothesis hyper-connectivity this area closely linked depression. Despite its great effectiveness, technique remains limited numerous contraindications exposes multitude short-, medium- long-term side effects, notably cognitive disorders. Objectives To shed light on disorders affecting mnesic processes, learning thinking after electroconvulsive therapy. Methods We performed systematic literature review using following keywords GoogleScholar database: impairment post therapy, effects ECT. Results Most studies focused abilities, particular deterioration anterograde memory at maximum just session recovers progressively spontaneously. retrograde memory, hand, depends dose, type location electrodes, has greater tendency affect recent memories than old ones. Other speed process information, also affected, decrease, especially depressed people, can be resolved time. Concerning attentiveness, some noted minimal lateral visual fields, perseveration verbal expression. These executive functions performance STROOP MTM tests fluency. Conclusions occurrence preservation deficits much debated subject many controversial studies, despite subject, we are still far from conclusive exploitable results, intricacy diversity parameters, materials techniques ECT, because factors such individual peculiarities, neurological co-morbidities, polymedication psychotropic drugs. Disclosure Interest None Declared