What is the most common adverse effect of electroconvulsive therapy?

What is the most common adverse effect of electroconvulsive therapy?

• A. Increased heart rate and blood pressure during the procedure
• B. Short-term memory loss (retrograde amnesia)
• C. Headache
• D. Nausea

Answer: (B)

Memory disturbance is the key adverse effect of electroconvulsive therapy, with short-term retrograde amnesia for events around the treatment sessions being the most common. The memory gaps reflect disruption of memory encoding and consolidation in brain regions like the hippocampus and surrounding cortex during the induced seizure, and these effects are typically transient, often improving over days to weeks after completing a course. Some patients may notice brief anterograde memory difficulties as well, but this is usually less prominent than retrograde memory loss. Other effects, such as transient increases in heart rate and blood pressure during the procedure, headaches, or nausea, can occur but are less common and not the predominant issue.

Memory disturbance is the key adverse effect of electroconvulsive therapy, with short-term retrograde amnesia for events around the treatment sessions being the most common. The memory gaps reflect disruption of memory encoding and consolidation in brain regions like the hippocampus and surrounding cortex during the induced seizure, and these effects are typically transient, often improving over days to weeks after completing a course. Some patients may notice brief anterograde memory difficulties as well, but this is usually less prominent than retrograde memory loss. Other effects, such as transient increases in heart rate and blood pressure during the procedure, headaches, or nausea, can occur but are less common and not the predominant issue.