ELECTRICAL DOSE TITRATION FOR ELECTROCONVULSIVE-THERAPY - A COMPARISON WITH DOSE PREDICTION METHODS

Recent Literature on electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) emphasizes the us e of moderately suprathreshold electrical stimuli for clinical ECT. Si nce there is substantial interpatient variability in seizure threshold s, individualization of the ECT stimulus dose has been advocated. Thre e methods for selecting an electrical stimulus are compared in the pre sent study. The methods compared include empirical titration and dose predictive methods described by two different ECT equipment instructio n manuals. The use of ECT stimulus titration was found to be a more co nsistent means of selecting an electrical dose than either of the two predictive methods. The implications of these findings for the clinica l practice of ECT are discussed.