CONVULSIVE THRESHOLD DIFFERENCES IN RIGHT UNILATERAL AND BILATERAL ECT

This study examines how the convulsive threshold in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) varies with electrode placement (bilateral [BL] versus r ight unilateral [RUL]), age, gender, weight, and the nasion-inion meas urements of the head. Method: Twenty-eight subjects underwent stimulus dose titration to determine the convulsive threshold. Titration was a ccomplished for each subject with both electrode placements during the first and second ECT in a balanced design. Head measurements were mad e prior to the first ECT. Results indicated that the convulsive thresh old was higher for BL than RUL, higher for men than women, increased w ith age, and increased with an increasing nasion-inion measurement in women but not in men. We concluded that the convulsive threshold varie s according to the choice of electrode placement, gender, and age as h as been reported by others. We additionally report that the convulsive threshold increases with increasing head size as reflected in the nas ion-inion distance.