Achieving stable remission with maintenance electroconvulsive therapy in a patient with treatment-resistant schizophrenia: A case report

• Published in: Medicine (Baltimore) 2017-12, Vol.96 (48), p.e8813-e8813
• Main Authors: Moeller, Sebastian, Kalkwarf, Neele, Lücke, Caroline, Ortiz, Diana, Jahn, Sonja, Först, Christiane, Braun, Niclas, Philipsen, Alexandra, Müller, Helge H.O.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Clinical Case Report; Electroconvulsive Therapy - methods; Humans; Male; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Schizophrenia - therapy
• ISSN: 0025-7974; 1536-5964
• DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000008813

Up to one third of all schizophrenic patients are classified as having treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). This subgroup faces remarkable medical and psychosocial damages, and pharmacotherapy is often limited due to nonresponse and/or side effects. Maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (M-ECT) might be effective in TRS. We present a case of a 26-year-old male patient with a TRS. He received a treatment series of ECT sessions and a course of 24 M-ECTs. The entire treatment was tolerated without significant side effects. Moreover, the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scale (PSYRATS) scores for both positive and negative symptoms decreased and remained stable over the course of M-ECT. Because of the remarkable improvement in the negative and positive symptom clusters, we propose systematic examinations in the field of M-ECT in TRS patients. These studies should integrate long-term outcome and tolerance measurements, gaining insight into the optimal duration of treatment for this indication.