Electroconvulsive therapy for poststroke depression.

Of the 193 patients with stroke and depression treated at Massachusetts General Hospital from 1969 to 1981, 14 had electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for poststroke depression. Among these 14 patients, depression developed less than 1 year after stroke in 9 and more than 1 year after stroke in 5. Except for 2 of the patients in whom depression developed within a year, all had marked improvement in depression after ECT. A transitory cardiac arrhythmia developed in 1 patient, but none of the patients had an exacerbation of stroke or a worsening of neurologic status. These findings indicate that ECT is safe and effective for poststroke depression.