The influence of concomitant antidepressant and antipsychotic medication on antidepressant effect and seizure duration of electroconvulsive therapy

ConclusionTaken together, our study underlines that concomitant psychotropic medication while doing electroconvulsive therapy does not bare the risk of prolonged seizure duration or does it reduce the effectiveness of ECT. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to examine the effect of treatment with antidepressants in combination with antipsychotics while doing ECT. In light of our results, this combination therapy is safe and effective. Bearing in mind the delay in onset of antidepressant action of medication and the importance of antidepressant medication for relapse prevention, this study further supports the recommendation that psychotropic medication should be given in adjunction to ECT.
Source: Frontiers in Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research