In both groups, MMSE scores still increased slightly after ECT was discontinued.
In the group of patients with a low MMSE score (< /24) at baseline, the MMSE score improved significantly during ECT, whereas in the group of patients with a normal MMSE score (≥24) at baseline, the score did not change significantly during ECT.
RESULTS: MMSE scores improved significantly during the course of ECT and remained stable during the 6-month period after ending ECT for the total group. The MMSE was assessed before, during, immediately after, and 6 months after ECT. METHODS: One hundred nine patients aged 55 years and older with unipolar depression, referred for ECT, were included in our study. Our aim was to examine the evolution of cognitive effects of ECT, using the MMSE in a large group of patients with LLD. OBJECTIVE: There is ongoing concern about the impact of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on cognition in patients with late-life depression (LLD), especially in patients for whom pretreatment Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) scores are low.
