RESULTS The most common indication for using ECT for schizophrenia patients was to augment pharmacotherapy , while the most common accompanying symptoms were , in order , catatonia , aggression and suicide .
Catatonic patients responded significantly better to ECT than patients with any other subtype of schizophrenia .
The combination of ECT with pharmacotherapy can be useful for drug-resistant patients .
The use of an ECT-risperidone combination or ECT-clozapine combination in patients non-responsive to prior pharmacotherapy was found to be most effective .
This review indicates that ECT , combined with pharmacotherapy , may be a viable option for a selected group of patients with schizophrenia .
In particular , the use of ECT is recommended for drug-resistant patients , for schizophrenic patients with catatonia , aggression or suicidal behavior  , and when rapid global improvement and reduction of acute symptomatology are required
BACKGROUND Electroconvulsive therapy ( ECT ) is a medical treatment that is most effective for mood disorders ( Bipolar Disorder and Major Depression ) .
It has also been shown to be an effective treatment for schizophrenia accompanied by catatonia , extreme depression , mania and other affective components .
ECT is currently under-used in many psychiatric setting s due to its stigmatized perception by patients and mental health professionals .
However , many unanswered questions remain regarding its role in the management of patients with schizophrenia .
AIM Evaluate the main indications of ECT in subjects suffering from schizophrenia .
OBJECTIVES Investigate the efficacy and the main indications of  ECT in the treatment of schizophrenic patients , evaluate its effects in the short-term and the long-term , compare ECT treatment with pharmacotherapy , and assess the effects of treatment with ECT .
ECT FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA
Electroconvulsive therapy ( ECT ) in the treatment of schizophrenia was evaluated in a double-blind trial ; the clinical change after ECT was compared with that after a treatment procedure identical to it but for two exceptions -- no electricity was used and no convulsion was induced . All patients had paranoid schizophrenia according to Present State Examination criteria and all received st and ard doses of neuroleptics for at least 2 weeks before r and om assignment to the two groups . 20 patients completed the trial : 10 had ECT and 10 were in the control group .  Treatment was given three times a week , with a minimum of eight treatments and a maximum of twelve . Clinical change was assessed by the Comprehensive Psychiatric Rating Scale . Both groups improved but the improvement of patients receiving ECT was significantly greater than that of controls both after six treatments ( p=0.02 ) and at the end of treatment ( p=0.004 ) . Thus the group receiving ECT gained a clear and early advantage compared with the control group , although by 16 weeks there was little difference between the two groups . Possible reasons for this are discussed
RESULTS The most common indication for using ECT for schizophrenia patients was to augment pharmacotherapy , while the most common accompanying symptoms were , in order , catatonia , aggression and suicide .
Catatonic patients responded significantly better to ECT than patients with any other subtype of schizophrenia .
The combination of ECT with pharmacotherapy can be useful for drug-resistant patients .
The use of an ECT-risperidone combination or ECT-clozapine combination in patients non-responsive to prior pharmacotherapy was found to be most effective .
This review indicates that ECT , combined with pharmacotherapy , may be a viable option for a selected group of patients with schizophrenia .
In particular , the use of ECT is recommended for drug-resistant patients , for schizophrenic patients with catatonia , aggression or suicidal behavior  , and when rapid global improvement and reduction of acute symptomatology are required
BACKGROUND Electroconvulsive therapy ( ECT ) is a medical treatment that is most effective for mood disorders ( Bipolar Disorder and Major Depression ) .
It has also been shown to be an effective treatment for schizophrenia accompanied by catatonia , extreme depression , mania and other affective components .
ECT is currently under-used in many psychiatric setting s due to its stigmatized perception by patients and mental health professionals .
However , many unanswered questions remain regarding its role in the management of patients with schizophrenia .
AIM Evaluate the main indications of ECT in subjects suffering from schizophrenia .
OBJECTIVES Investigate the efficacy and the main indications of  ECT in the treatment of schizophrenic patients , evaluate its effects in the short-term and the long-term , compare ECT treatment with pharmacotherapy , and assess the effects of treatment with ECT .