EFFECTS OF DESMOPRESSIN ON MEMORY DISORDERS DUE TO ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY (ECT) IN HUMANS
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an efficient treatment for several neuropsychiatric disorders; however a large number of patients develop memory impairment after ECT. Different studies both on animals and human suggest that vasopressin has positive effects on memory and improves cognitive functio...
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| Published in: | Medical journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran Vol. 18; no. 2 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
National Research Centre of Medical Sciences of I.R. IRAN
21-08-2007
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an efficient treatment for several
neuropsychiatric disorders; however a large number of patients develop
memory impairment after ECT. Different studies both on animals and
human suggest that vasopressin has positive effects on memory and
improves cognitive functions. In this randomized, double-blind
controlled clinical trial, 50 patients with psychiatric disorders who
were candidate for ECT were studied. In the control group (20 patients)
who received normal saline, ECT resulted in impairment in several
aspects of memory such as: immediate memory, short term memory, visual
memory, associate learning and memory quality. The sub-scores for most
of the sub-fractional aspects of memory by WMS tests were decreased
significantly by the 2nd and the 3rd tests (p<0.001 for most of the
measured parameters). In the case group (30 patients), each patient
received 60 μg/day (in 3 doses) desmopressin as intranasal spray;
during the ECT treatment most of the measured parameters were increased
significantly by the 2nd and the 3rd WMS tests. There were significant
differences between the two groups for most memory scores
(p<0.0001). The data demonstrate that desmopressin has protective
and facilitating effects on memory impairment after ECT. Therefore, we
conclude that desmopressin may be effective in the prevention of memory
disorders by facilitating effects on memory and learning processes and
may be used in patients who receive ECT for neuropsychiatric disorders. |
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| ISSN: | 1016-1430 |