Effects of ACTH 4-10 on ECT-induced memory dysfunctions.

Double-blind studies of ACTH 4-10 and placebo were conducted in psychiatric patients receiving bilateral ECT to determine whether the polypeptide exerted anti-amnesic effects. Observations after a single ECT were suggestive of some positive effects, but studies between seizures after five or six ECTs showed no significant drug-placebo differences. Although the findings were largely negative, they do not rule out positive effects of ACTH 4-10 on memory. Possibly the designs and timing of the experiments and/or the dosages of ACTH 4-10 employed were unsuitable for demonstrating such influences.