Memory Changes After Unilateral and Bilateral Convulsive Therapy (ECT)

Abstract

Memory deficit persists as the principal undesirable side effect of convulsive therapy. In an attempt to minimize this deficit Lancaster, Steinert and Frost (1958) introduced unilateral electrode placement to the non-dominant hemisphere as an alternative to the standard bilateral placement of electrodes. They suggested that clinical improvement with unilateral placement was the same as for bilateral ECT, but that memory impairment was less severe.