Cognitive Training for Memory Deficits Associated With Electroconvulsive Therapy

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Memory Deficits, Electroconvulsive Therapy

In brief

Although electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains the most effective treatment for people with severe depression, patients may experience a significant degree of persistent and/or permanent memory problems following ECT. Many patients report the memory problems are the most disturbing and serious side effect of ECT, and that such effects impact their quality of life following treatment and their willingness to consent to further ECT needed to complete a treatment course or to maintain remission. New developments in the field of cognitive remediation have demonstrated the benefits of cognitive training to improve memory performance in various conditions, such as epilepsy. However, these strategies have never been applied to help patients regain memory after ECT. The investigators have designed and piloted a novel cognitive program specifically targeted to the cognitive effects of ECT, based upon a program tailored to people with seizure disorders, a group with memory problems very similar to people who undergo ECT. This Memory Training for ECT (Mem-ECT) is designed to help cognitive functions that may be compromised following ECT remain relatively preserved. In addition, the intervention attempts to help ECT patients quickly regain their general memory skills immediately following ECT. Recent results from our preliminary group of patients who underwent ECT and memory training at New York Presbyterian shows no overall decline in memory function following ECT. On the basis of these promising findings, the investigators propose a more rigorous and larger study to confirm whether this novel memory training program can help alleviate memory problems associated with ECT.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT01876758

Run by

New York State Psychiatric Institute

People needed

59

Starts

2012-09-01

Expected to finish

2017-05-01

Last updated by the study team

2017-07-14

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 70. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder
• Inpatient at NYSPI or Presbyterian Hospital
• Scheduled to undergo right-unilateral electroconvulsive therapy in the next two weeks
• We do not require participants to be psychiatrically stable in terms of their symptoms. They only need to demonstrate capacity to consent and be willing to sit through 3 training sessions prior to ECT and 5 sessions post ECT

You may not qualify if…

• Significant auditory/visual impairment that would interfere with study procedures
• Lack of aptitude in English that may interfere with the administration of the tests
• Changes in the type of antidepressant during the course of ECT or 2 weeks post ECT
• Chart diagnosis of any other medical or neuropsychiatric illnesses known to impair brain function (e.g. mental retardation, traumatic brain injury, schizophrenia)
• History of ECT in past 2 months
• Mental status examination score below 40/57
• Current substance abuse (e.g. marijuana or crack), excluding nicotine and caffeine.
• Too agitated to sit through the required tests or training

Where it is running

• New York State Psychiatric Institute — New York, New York, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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