Study protocol of a German multi-center, observer-blind, randomized, and actively controlled parallel-group trial comparing maintenance electroconvulsive therapy to treatment as usual for relapse prevention in clozapine resistant schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is one of the most severe and costly mental disorders in terms of human suffering and societal expenditure. About 15-30% of patients do not respond to all known antipsychotics, including clozapine, the current gold standard in these cases. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is well-known...

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Main Authors: Deicher, Anton (Author) , Karl, Sebastian (Author) , Otte, Marie-Luise (Author) , Knabbe, Johannes (Author) , Wendel, Bernadette (Author) , Gose, Maria (Author) , Wolf, Robert Christian (Author) , Sartorius, Alexander (Author)
Format: Article (Journal)
Language:English
Published: 26 May 2025
In: BMC psychiatry
Year: 2025, Volume: 25, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-7
ISSN:1471-244X
DOI:10.1186/s12888-025-06990-2
Online Access:Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06990-2
Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-025-06990-2
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Author Notes:Anton Deicher, Sebastian Karl, Marie-Luise Otte, Johannes Knabbe, Bernadette Wendel, Maria Gose, R. Christian Wolf and Alexander Sartorius
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Summary:Schizophrenia is one of the most severe and costly mental disorders in terms of human suffering and societal expenditure. About 15-30% of patients do not respond to all known antipsychotics, including clozapine, the current gold standard in these cases. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is well-known to be highly effective in clozapine-treatment-resistant schizophrenia (CRS), and synergistic effects of clozapine and ECT have been demonstrated. However, relapse rates after successful courses of ECT are still very high, and evidence for maintenance ECT (mECT) in CRS is scarce at best.
Item Description:Gesehen am 02.09.2025
Physical Description:Online Resource
ISSN:1471-244X
DOI:10.1186/s12888-025-06990-2