Posted by Larry Hoover on April 9, 2007, at 12:45:57
http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/v32/n1/full/1301180a.html
Hard to believe that a procedure in use for over 50 years has finally had a large-scale multi-centre prospective study of its effects on cognitive function.
Interesting how the abstract downplayed the finding that more than one out of eight subjects experienced loss of autobiographical memory at greater than 2 standard deviations decrement from pre-convulsion levels. Or that when tested at 3-7 days post treatment, all measures of cognitive function were substantially impaired (10 of 11 p < 0.0001; the other p < 0.003).
Not surprisingly, if you've followed the literature, bilateral electrode placement and sine-wave current were more likely to predict declines in cognitive function at 6 months post-treatment. Despite a little dancing around bushes in the abstract, they do conclude "...adverse cognitive effects were detected 6 months following the acute treatment course."
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:748438
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070407/msgs/748438.html