THE INFLUENCE OF SOMATIC ESPESIALLY ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY FOR MENTAL DISEASES UPON THE CO2 VOLUME IN BLOOD
1961 Volume 21 Issue 5 Pages 606-619
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1961 Volume 21 Issue 5 Pages 606-619
The author has examined the variations of CO2 volume in blood induced by the application of unmodified as well as various modified E. S. T., and she also examined them during the medication of several phenothiazine derivatives. The results are summarized as follows :
1. In general, after E. S. T. the CO2 volume in blood decreases decidedly. The average of the maximal decrease of CO2 volume after unmodified E. S. T. is 16.9 vol %, and that after E. S. T. under narcosis with methylhexabital is 8.70 vol%. The ratio of the former to the latter is almost precisely reciprocal to that of the numbers of treatments by either method which are effective enough to bring about the full remission of melancholia.
2. The average of maximal decrease after thyamilal-S. C. C. -E. S. T. (Nakamura) is 10.85 vol %, and that after P. M. -G. M. -S. C. C. E. S. T. (Impastato) is 10.56 vol %. Both values are quite similar corresponding to the similarity of the effectiveness of the two methods.
3. The average after P. M. -G. M. E. S. T. without any modication is 13.3 vol %, which means that the P. M. prior to G. M, reduces the intensity of the latter. The grade of the reduction is actually illustrated by means of mechanography.
4. The decrease of CO2 volume in blood after E. S. T. with only S.C. C. (Rose) is quite irregular and insignificant. This fact suggests that S. C. C. may have some unknown central actions besides its wellknown peripheral muscle relaxing action.
5. By the modication of phenothiazine derivatives, the CO2 volume in blood is also reduced. This demonstrates that the essence of these kinds of medicine consists neither in sympathicotropic nor in tranquilizing action as generally believed.
6. Through above described observation, the author wants to presume that both E. S. T. and pharmacotherapy with phenothiazine deliveratives may stand within the same category as to the influence upon homeostasis by changing the vegetative function, the mechanism of which still remains unknown.
