Abstract
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an exceptionally effective treatment for a number of psychiatric conditions; however, a common adverse effect is temporary cognitive impairment, especially memory loss. The dissociative disorders also involve disturbances of memory, as well as consciousness and personal identity, but are rarely iatrogenic. We report a case in which dissociative symptoms developed after ECT. A 51-year-old woman with hypothyroidism, migraine headaches, bipolar disorder, and anorexia by history was admitted for worsening depression with suicidal ideation. After a course of 7 right-sided ECT treatments, she experienced remarkable personality change, claiming that it was 1976 and behaving as though she was 30 years younger. Neuropsychological tests were normal, and her memory and former personality spontaneously returned 2 weeks later. This case illustrates that such events may be seen in patients with certain psychiatric profiles, and further studies are needed to determine the risk factors for the occurrence of dissociative episodes after ECT.
References
Aug 1, 1992·The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease·E S Bowman, P M Coons
Sep 1, 1990·The American Journal of Psychiatry·M A DemitrackP W Gold
Nov 1, 1986·Anesthesia and Analgesia·V A DozeP F White
Jul 21, 1970·Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta·N Nagata, H Rasmussen
Aug 1, 1968·The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science·M ValentineD Dunne
Aug 1, 1968·The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science·A M HallidayL C Kreeger
Sep 1, 1969·The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science·E M SutherlandD R Knight
Dec 1, 1965·Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology·G Gottlieb, I Wilson
Sep 1, 1967·The American Journal of Psychiatry·R Abrams
Jun 1, 1983·The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease·W Coryell
May 1, 1995·The International Journal of Eating Disorders·S Valdiserri, J F Kihlstrom
Mar 1, 1995·The International Journal of Eating Disorders·J EverillW Macdonald
Jul 1, 1995·The American Journal of Psychiatry·C SobinM C McElhiney
Oct 1, 1994·Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica·D BergerH Suematsu
Apr 1, 1994·The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis·E F Rosen, L C Petty
Mar 1, 1993·The International Journal of Eating Disorders·J VanderlindenH Vertommen
Mar 21, 1998·The International Journal of Eating Disorders·C Meyer, G Waller
Jan 1, 1999·The Journal of ECT·C DeBattistaD Spiegel
Sep 14, 1999·The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry·L BrownS Dunn
Apr 21, 2001·The Journal of ECT·C NgJ Tiller
Aug 2, 2001·Clinical Neuropharmacology·J W Norton
Jul 4, 2002·Clinical Psychology Review·Harald MerckelbachEric Rassin
Jan 1, 1958·The Journal of Mental Science·N P LANCASTERI FROST
Nov 25, 2004·Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Revue Canadienne De Psychiatrie·August Piper, Harold Merskey
Jul 6, 2006·International Journal of Legal Medicine·S SeidlP Betz
Mar 16, 2007·Paediatric Anaesthesia·Sadeq A QuraishiFredrick K Orkin