I am a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor who has researched the effects of ECT for the past decade in an effort to improve quality of life for those who had it.

Several people have contacted me inquiring which tests are most appropriate to assess neurological changes (vision, motor, memory, balance, auditory, etc) in people with a history of Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Based on available research and deficits reported by people with a history of ECT, the following are a list of neuropsych and occupational assessments which I recommend for people with a history of ECT:

• Clinical Test of Sensory Integration and Balance (CTSIB)
• Trail Making test
• Box and Block Test
• Purdue Pegboard Test
• Halstead Category Test
• Wisconsin Card Sorting Test
• Test of Visual Perceptual Skills (non-motor)-Upper Level (TVPS-UL),
• Developmental Eye Movement Test (DEM)
• Delis-Kaplan Executive Functioning System (D-KEFS),
• Autobiographical memory Interview (AMI).
• Janis Autobiographical assessment (only accurate when Pre-ECT testing is completed with Post-ECT testing)
• Verbal Learning subtest of the Williams battery.
• Bender-Gestalt and the Benton Visual Retention Test (with the The Pascal and Suttell method of scoring for deviations on the Bender- Gestalt designs).
• Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration 
• Brain Injury Vision Symptom survey (BIVSS)
• Hyperacusis/tinnitus and auditory processing testing 
• Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (WAB-R) and/or  Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (BDAE)
• videonystagmography (vng) from a provider who specializes in brain injury.

Depending on how testing is completed, ECT memory loss can be difficult to capture accurately. One study acknowledged that "Even people with severe brain injury or lobotomy can perform well on simple tests of overlearned verbal material that require culturally common information, for example the Wechsler Memory Scale. Highly motivated and concerned ECT patients are even more likely to do well on these tests. However, clinicians who conclude from this that there is ‘no memory loss’ have not measured memory loss at all, and certainly not the type of memory and cognitive disability that people can experience after ECT" (Read more about sensitive testing for ECT recipients here). 

I recommend connecting with a qualified psychologist, familiar with repetitive mild traumatic brain injury and with a Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation provider.

For additional testing, please see the “The aim of this petition” update on our International petition to “Standardize, Regulate & Audit Shock Treatments (Electroconvulsive therapy or ECT).”

I hope that helps. Please let me know how things unfold.