Battery for ECT Related Cognitive Deficits (B4ECT-ReCoDe): Development and validation

Abstract

Background The use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in treatment of psychiatric disorders is associated with adverse cognitive effects. There is a need to develop a short assessment tool of cognitive functions during the course of ECT. Objective This study aimed at developing and validating a short, sensitive battery to assess cognitive deficits associated with ECT in India. Methods Battery for ECT Related Cognitive Deficits (B4ECT-ReCoDe), a brief cognitive battery (20–30 min) to assess verbal, visual, working and autobiographic memory, sustained attention, psychomotor speed and subjective memory impairment, was administered to 30 in-patients receiving bilateral ECT, one day after the 1st, 3rd and 6th ECT. Data was analysed using repeated measures analysis of variance and Pearson's correlation. Results Significant deficits were found in verbal, visual and autobiographic memory, psychomotor speed. Subjective experience of memory loss correlated positively with verbal memory impairment. Conclusions B4ECT-ReCoDe, a brief, sensitive measure of cognitive impairments associated with ECT can be used in routine clinical practice.