Changes in the Electroencephalogram and in the Excretion of 17-Ketosteroids Accompanying Electro-Shock Therapy of Agitated Depression

Thirteen women suffering from agitated depression have been studied before, during and after periods of eight to fifteen electro-shock treatments. Daily ratings with the use of a new psychiatric scale are found to correlate well with fast (> 13 per second) frequencies in the electroencephalograms. When the patients improve, the percentage of time these waves are present decreases; when they relapse the fast waves tend to return. However, there is also a tendency for the fast waves to return in some patients showing good remission. The diurnal rhythm of the nightly rate of 17-ketosteroid excretion divided into the morning rate as a measure of adrenal cortical activity was also measured. While this value for normals is 1.60, in the patients studied the mean pre-treatment value was 1.03; during the treatment period it rose to 1.32, and declined in the post-treatment period to 1.25. The possible significance of these findings is discussed in terms of questions they raise for future exploration.