Many patients are not satisfied with electroconvulsive therapyJune 18, 2003Around 11,000 people receive electroconvulsive therapy in England each year, yet controversy exists as to whether treatment is beneficial and whether patients are satisfied with it. A study in this week’s BMJ finds that at least one third of patients report persistent memory loss after electroconvulsive therapy. This conflicts with the current statement from the Royal College of Psychiatrists that over 80% of patients are satisfied with treatment and that memory loss is not clinically important. Researchers reviewed 35 studies to ascertain patients’ views on electroconvulsive therapy. Twenty-six were carried out by doctors in psychiatric units (clinician led studies) and nine were undertaken by patients or with in collaboration with them (patient led studies). The level of positive responses varied widely between studies. Patient led studies reported lower rates of perceived benefit than clinician led studies. The rate of reported persistent memory loss varied between 29% and 55% but, unlike levels of perceived benefit, the rate did not seem to depend on whether studies were clinical or patient based, with relatively high levels being reported by both types of study. Given these findings, it is not surprising that disputes can arise and that organisations should emerge that provide support for those who feel their treatment has not been beneficial, say the authors. They conclude that the current statement from the Royal College of Psychiatrists is unfounded. British Medical Journal (BMJ) |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Related Memory Current Events and Memory News Articles Surgery not linked to memory problems in older patients For years, it has been widely assumed that older adults may experience memory loss and other cognitive problems following surgery. But a new study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis questions those assumptions. Mother's Depression a Risk Factor in Childhood Asthma Symptoms, Study Suggests Asthma symptoms can worsen in children with depressed mothers, according to research from Johns Hopkins Children's Center published online in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology. New Down syndrome treatment suggested by Stanford/Packard study in mice At birth, children with Down syndrome aren't developmentally delayed. But as they age, these kids fall behind. Memory deficits inherent in Down syndrome hinder learning, making it hard for the brain to collect experiences needed for normal cognitive development. Cognitive dysfunction reversed in mouse model of Down syndrome A study by neuroscientist William C. Mobley, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and colleagues at Stanford University Medical School has demonstrated a possible new approach to slowing the inevitable progression of cognitive decline found in Down's syndrome. Saliva proteins change as women age In a step toward using human saliva to tell whether those stiff joints, memory lapses, and other telltale signs of aging are normal or red flags for disease, scientists are describing how the protein content of women's saliva change with advancing age. UCLA study shows brain's ability to reorganize Visually impaired people appear to be fearless, navigating busy sidewalks and crosswalks, safely finding their way using nothing more than a cane as a guide. New neuroimaging analysis technique identifies impact of Alzheimer's disease gene in healthy brains Brain imaging can offer a window into risk for diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). A study conducted at the University of Kansas School of Medicine demonstrated that genetic risk is expressed in the brains of even those who are healthy, but carry some risk for AD. Consumption of certain fish during pregnancy associated with poorer cognitive performance Children who eat fish more than 3 times per week show a worse performance in the general cognitive, executive and perceptual-manipulative areas. Does modernization affect children's cognitive development? Societal and technological changes have taken place at a dizzying pace over recent decades. A new cross-cultural study aimed to determine whether these dramatic changes have had an effect on the thinking skills that are learned over the course of childhood. Scientists decipher the formation of lasting memories Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered a mechanism that controls the brain's ability to create lasting memories. In experiments on genetically manipulated mice, they were able to switch on and off the animals' ability to form lasting memories by adding a substance to their drinking water. More Memory Current Events and Memory News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||