ECT in Ultra-resistant Schizophrenia

Summary

The effects of the ECT in schizophrenia ultra-resistant were studied in short times (4-6 months in most studies with follow-up). The literature identified a high relapse rate of 32% in the weeks to months after ECT discontinuation. The use of the ECT in the prevention of the relapse is partially known. In an empirical way, experts recommend protocols of prevention of the relapse going from 6 to 12 months. Nevertheless, the profit of a long cure (12 months) compared with a short cure (6 months) was never determined. Therefore, the investigators decided to lead a prospective randomized controlled study in order to compare the response rates between the two strategies of clozapine and ECT combinations applied to URS patients. The treatment consisted either in a short therapy of six months or a longer course of therapy of twelve months. To the investigators' knowledge, it is the first study which compares two ECT strategies (both the short duration and the longer one) for the treatment of URS patients.

Conditions

• Schizophrenia
• Electroconvulsive Therapy

Interventions

DEVICE

Electroconvulsive therapy

Electroconvulsive therapy is administered through electrodes positioned bilaterally (for quicker efficacy) on the frontotemporal region. The stimulation dose is determined by titration method, during the first ECT session. The dose for therapeutic stimulation will be twice the seizure threshold. This dose may be increased as the crisis does not meet the effectiveness criteria, as is recommended. For patients undergoing ECT, an intravenous injection of etomidate (between 0.1 and 0.7 mg/kg) and suxamethonium chloride (0.8 and 1.2 mg/kg) is performed. The required doses are adapted according to each patient by the anaesthetist and they are documented in the patients' files. A mixture of etomidate and propofol can be used in second-line or just propofol in third-line (no more than 2mg/kg).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University Hospital, Rouen

  collaborator OTHER

• University Hospital, Bordeaux

  collaborator OTHER

• Nantes University Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• University Hospital, Toulouse

  collaborator OTHER

• University Hospital, Caen

  collaborator OTHER

• Centre Hospitalier Henri Laborit

  collaborator OTHER

• Centre Hospitalier St Anne

  collaborator OTHER

• Centre Hospitalier de Cadillac

  collaborator OTHER

• Hôpital Louis Mourier

  collaborator OTHER

• University Hospital, Montpellier

  collaborator OTHER

• University Hospital, Clermont-Ferrand

  collaborator OTHER

• Centre hospitalier de Ville-Evrard, France

  collaborator OTHER

• Centre Hospitalier du Rouvray

  lead OTHER_GOV

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

55 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2018-07-04

Primary Completion

2023-10-04

Completion

2023-10-04

Countries

• France

Study Locations