DECREASES IN BLOOD EOSINOPHILIC LEUKOCYTES AFTER ELECTRICALLY INDUCED CONVULSIONS IN MAN

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Abstract
Patients given electroconvulsive therapy for mental disease exhibit decreases in blood eosinophilic cell counts irrespective of diagnosis, duration of disease and clinical response to the shock treatment. The change in eosinophilic cell count tends to become less marked when treatments are given frequently and may return to its former level after a rest period of more than 10 days. In one instance the effect of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (Armour) was compared with that of shock therapy, both given over a period of several weeks. The hormone caused a marked eosinophilic cell response but no clinical improvement whereas the convulsions caused a lesser eosinophilic cell response but resulted in clinical remission. It is concluded that increased production of 11-oxy-steroids, considered to be responsible for the eosinophilic cell response, is not the cause of clinical remission in patients given electroconvulsive therapy.