ELECTROSHOCK THERAPY, CLINICAL AND ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC STUDIES*

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Abstract
In 82 patients, the patterns of brain waves before treatment we''re found to have no relationship to the types of mental reactions. These included schizophrenia, manic-depressive depression, involutional psychosis, and undifferentiated psychoses. Of 82 patients, the electroencephalographic records taken the day following an electric shock treatment, showed the typical pattern of cerebral dysrhythmia in 68. In 20 patients, the same pattern was seen ten months after the completion of treatment. In 6 patients, the originally abnormal records became normal within one to three months following the completion of the treatment. The frequency of a maintained cerebral dysrhythmia appears to depend largely on the number of treatments. There was 15% in the group of patients who received up to 15 treatments, and 50% in those who had up to 42 treatments. An abnormal record before treatment appears to be less favorable for the outcome of treatment than a normal record. Such an abnormal record is likely to be followed by long-standing cerebral dysrhythmia following shock treatment.

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