Absence of additional cognitive impairment in schizophrenia patients during maintenance electroconvulsive therapy.

This study examines the cognitive impairment profile of schizophrenia patients during maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (M-ECT). Ten schizophrenia patients treated with M-ECT and ten control patients matched for diagnosis, sex, and age who had never been treated with ECT were assessed with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. M-ECT patients did not show a higher level of memory, attention, or frontal function impairment than the control group. The absence of additional memory dysfunction may favor the functional adaptation of these patients during M-ECT.