Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39926701›Full record

ArticleBiological psychiatry global open science2025

Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Scotland-Wide Naturalistic Study of 4826 Treatment Episodes.

Julie Langan Martin, Rona J Strawbridge, David Christmas, Michael Fleming, Stephen Kelly, Daphne Varveris, Daniel Martin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Biological psychiatry global open science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Characteristics and outcomes of early-terminated acute electroconvulsive therapy courses: A retrospective cohort study.Dusunen adam : Bakirkoy Ruh ve Sinir Hastaliklari Hastanesi yayin organi · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Julie Langan MartinSchool of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Rona J StrawbridgeSchool of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
David ChristmasNational Health Service Tayside, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, United Kingdom.
Michael FlemingSchool of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Stephen KellyNational Health Service Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Daphne VarverisNational Health Service Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Daniel MartinNational Health Service Forth Valley, Stirling, United Kingdom.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment option for several psychiatric disorders, including treatment-resistant depression, but there are concerns about potential adverse effects, particularly on cognition. This study describes ECT response and side effects in the Scottish ECT Audit Network. Methods: Data collected from 4826 treatment episodes includes pre-ECT and post-ECT illness severity scores (Clinical Global Impression-Severity [CGI-S] and Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRS]), diagnosis, age, sex, consent status, treatment year, treatment frequency, dose, and reported side effects. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the response to ECT by diagnosis, and logistic regression was used to investigate which factors influenced ECT response and side-effect occurrence. Results: CGI-S scale scores were reduced after ECT in all diagnoses. For patients with depression or bipolar depression, MADRS scores were also reduced after ECT. The most common side effect was headaches (29%). Increased age and increased CGI-S scores were significantly associated (multiple-testing corrected Conclusions: In a large observational outcome study of ECT, ECT appears to be effective (measured by reduction in CGI-S or MADRS scores) across a range of psychiatric diagnoses. Furthermore, increased age and increased illness severity scores at entry were the variables most significantly associated with treatment response and cognitive side effects.

Indexed as

Clinical Global Index-Severity ScaleDepressionElectroconvulsive therapyMontgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating ScaleResponseSide effects

Identifiers

PMID39926701
PMCPMC11804586

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.