"Our survey found, using four different measures, that 61 to 84 percent of ECT patients report memory loss. More than half ECT patients reporting memory loss said the loss lasted for more than 3 years. A "dose effect" (the more ECTs, the more damage) suggests a causal relationship. The researchers call for cognitive assessment and, where necessary, rehabilitation, for damaged patients."
"Even when memory loss is acknowledged, it is often described as temporary. But in our survey, most (65 percent) of those people reporting anterograde amnesia said it lasted for more than three years. Most (81 percent) of those reporting retrograde amnesia said it lasted more than three years. All measures of memory deficit were correlated with the number of ECTs received (a "dose effect" indicating a causal relationship) and were worse with bilateral electrode placement compared to unilateral."
An international survey of 1,144 ECT recipients and family members reported widespread memory loss across multiple measures. Between 61% and 84% of patients and 51% to 73% of relatives reported memory deficits. Seventy-one percent reported reduced ability to retain new information (anterograde amnesia) and 80% reported loss of autobiographical memories (retrograde amnesia). Among those reporting deficits, 65% of anterograde and 81% of retrograde cases lasted more than three years. All measures correlated with the number of ECTs (a dose effect) and bilateral electrode placement produced worse outcomes than unilateral. Cognitive assessment and rehabilitation are recommended where needed.
Read at Psychology Today
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