|
University Hospital is involved in many clinical trials
and research related to the safety and efficacy of ECT.
Doctors Kellner and Petrides are principal investigators
for the Consortium for Research in ECT (CORE), a well-regarded
group of federally-funded researchers that operates programs
in five hospitals across the country and is supported
by the National Institute of Mental Health.
CORE
researchers are studying the efficacy of bilateral ECT
in treating severe unipolar depression in patients ages
18 to 85 and of continuation treatments with ECT or
lithium plus nortriptyline.
In the first 253 CORE patients treated with ECT, depressive
symptoms decreased in 75% and did not in 11%; 14% dropped
out. Psychotic depression was identified in 30% (77
of 253), and in these patients, 83% saw symptoms lessen.
CORE findings suggest that ECT also may reduce suicide
risk (Journal of ECT. 18(1):62-63, March 2002).
|
About
the Program
Printer
Friendly Page