Maintenance electroconvulsive therapy in affective and schizoaffective disorder

Twenty-one patients (13 depressives and 8 schizoaffectives) who underwent m aintenance electroconvulsive therapy (M-ECT) were compared with controls wh o received maintenance pharmacotherapy alone. Measures of effectiveness and safety of maintenance treatment were prospectively obtained during a 1-yea r follow-up. Survival analysis demonstrated a significantly better outcome defined by time to rehospitalization for all patients of the M-ECT group. R egarding the subgroups, depressives of the M-ECT group had markedly decreas ed rehospitalization rates compared to depressive controls. Furthermore, M- ECT in depressives resulted in a significant reduction in hospitalization r ates and duration during follow-up. In schizoaffective patients, a signific ant difference in survival time was found in favor of the M-ECT group. In b oth groups, schizoaffectives had a markedly poorer outcome compared to depr essive subjects. Our results indicate that in selected patients M-ECT, at l east in combination with supporting medication, may be an efficient and saf e alternative to pharmacological continuation or maintenance therapy alone. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.