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 .
Double-blind randomized controlled study showing symptomatic and cognitive superiority of bifrontal over bitemporal electrode placement during electroconvulsive therapy for schizophrenia
BACKGROUND Several studies show that bifrontal electrode placement produces relatively fewer cognitive adverse effects than bitemporal placement during electroconvulsive therapy ( ECT ) in depression . There are no reports comparing these electrode placements in schizophrenia . OBJECTIVES This study compared the clinical and cognitive effects of bifrontal and bitemporal electrode placements in schizophrenia patients referred for electroconvulsive therapy ( ECT ) .  METHODS 122 schizophrenia patients who were prescribed ECT were r and omized to receive ECT with either bifrontal ( BFECT ; n = 62 ) or bitemporal ( BTECT ; n = 60 ) placement . Their concomitant anti-psychotic medications and the number of ECT sessions were not controlled . Psychopathology was assessed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale ( BPRS ) , Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale ( BFCRS ) , and the Nurse Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation ( NOSIE ) . Cognitive functions were assessed 24-h after the final ECT using a battery of tests . Clinical improvement was compared using chi-square test , repeated measures ANOVA and analysis of covariance ( ANCOVA ) . Cognitive adverse effects were compared using t-test . RESULTS At the end of 2 weeks ( after 6 ECT sessions ) 63 % and 13.2 % of BFECT and BTECT patients respectively had met the response criterion for BPRS ( 40 % reduction in total score ; OR = 20.8 ; 95 % CI = 3.61 - 34.33 ) . BFECT patients showed significantly faster clinical response on BPRS ( Time × Group interaction effect : P = 0.001 ) , BFCRS ( P < 0.001 ) and the NOSIE total assets score ( P = 0.003 ) . ANCOVA using baseline scores as covariates and treatment-resistance status as between-subject factor showed that BFECT patients had significantly greater improvement in all measures . BFECT patients had significantly higher PGI-memory-scale total score than BTECT patients ( t = 5.16 ; P < 0.001 ) . They also showed superior performance in other cognitive measures . CONCLUSIONS BFECT results in superior clinical and cognitive outcomes than BTECT in schizophrenia patients referred for ECT
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 .