Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica
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Acta Psychiatr Scand · Mar 2021
Hippocampal volume and memory impairment after electroconvulsive therapy in patients with depression.
Patients hesitate to consent to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) because of the fear of memory impairment. The mechanisms underlying this impairment are unclear, but several observations suggest hippocampal alterations may be involved. We investigated whether ECT-induced change in hippocampal volume correlates with memory impairment. ⋯ ECT-related transient increases in the volume of major hippocampal subregions within-patients are associated with memory impairment. Hippocampal alterations following ECT should be the focus in searching for causes of the cognitive side effects.