Poor interrater reliability of MECTA EEG recordings of ECT seizure duration.

The electroencephalogram (EEG) tracings of seizure durations recorded by the MECTA SR-1 for 24 patients undergoing right unilateral electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) were estimated independently by four psychiatrists and a neurologist. Differences among raters were often large and, overall, were statistically significant. The literature on interrater reliability for the MECTA EEG remains contradictory, and caution in MECTA EEG use appears warranted.