Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T08:12:06.447Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Using ECT to Study Hemispheric Specialization for Sequential Processes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

M. Horan ,
R. Ashton  and
J. Minto
M. Horan
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Queensland, St, Lucia, Queensland, 4067, Australia
R. Ashton
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Queensland, St, Lucia, Queensland, 4067, Australia
J. Minto
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Queensland, St, Lucia, Queensland, 4067, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Two studies are reported, citing the effects of unilateral versus bilateral electroconvulsive shock therapy on the performance of short cognitive tests. In Study 1, seven tests were administered before and after three treatment sessions The most interesting finding was that performance improved significantly on the Knox Cube Imitation test following right unilateral shock. Study 2 replicated this unexpected finding. These results were interpreted as demonstrating that the left cerebral hemisphere is specialized for the processing of sequential time-dependent information.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 137 , Issue 2 , August 1980 , pp. 119 - 125
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1980 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Broadbent, D. E. (1974) Division of function and integration of behaviour. In The Neurosciences. Third Study Program (eds. Schmitt, F. O. and Worden, F. C.). Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Cronholm, B. & Molander, L. (1957) Memory disturbance after electroconvulsive therapy. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 32, 280–306.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dornbush, R., Abrams, R. & Fink, M. (1971) Memory changes after unilateral and bilateral convulsive therapy (ECT). British Journal of Psychiatry, 119, 75–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fromholt, P., Christensen, A. L. & Stromgren, L. S. (1973) The effects of unilateral and bilateral electroconvulsive therapy on memory. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 49, 466–78.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gordon, H. W. & Bogen, J. E. (1974) Hemispheric lateralization of singing after intracarotid sodium amylobarbitone. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 37, 727–38.Google Scholar
Halliday, A. M., Davidson, K., Browne, M. W. & Kreeger, L. C. (1968) A comparison of the effects on depression and memory of bilateral ECT and unilateral ECT to the dominant and non-dominant hemispheres. British Journal of Psychiatry, 114, 997–1012.Google Scholar
Horan, M. C. (1976) Psychological Assessment of Cerebral Asymmetry , Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Queensland.Google Scholar
Kimura, D. (1973) The asymmetry of the human brain. Scientific American, 228, 70–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kimura, D. & Archibald, Y. (1974) Motor function of the left hemisphere. Brain, 97, 337–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kronfol, Z., Hamsher, K. de S., Digre, K. & Waziri, R. (1978) Depression and hemisphere functions: changes associated with unilateral ECT. British Journal of Psychiatry, 132, 560–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lancaster, N., Steinert, R. & Frost, I. (1958) Unilateral electroconvulsive therapy. Journal of Mental Science, 104, 221–7.Google Scholar
Lomas, J. & Kimura, D. (1976) Interhemisphere interaction between speaking and sequential manual activity. Neuropsychologia, 14, 23–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McAndrew, J., Berkey, B. & Matthews, C. (1967) The effects of dominant and non-dominant unilateral ECT. American Journal of Psychiatry, 124, 483–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McElwain, D. W. & Kearney, G. (1969) The Queensland Test Handbook, Hawthorn, Victoria: The Australian Council for Education Research.Google Scholar
Robertson, A. D. & Inglis, J. (1977) The effects of electroconvulsive therapy on human learning and memory. Canadian Psychological Review, 18, 285–307.Google Scholar
Zamora, E. N. & Kaelbling, R. (1968) Memory and electroconvulsive therapy. American Journal of Psychiatry, 122, 546–54.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.