Georgios Petrides, MD Email: petrides@lij.edu

Electroconvulsive Therapy or ECT is a non-psychopharmacological treatment for severe treatment-resistant depression and other psychiatric illnesses. Dr. George Petrides studies the effects of ECT in schizophrenia and affective illnesses. The scientist was recently awarded a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to study relapse prevention in depression that was successfully treated with a course of ECT. The study is a collaborative with six other centers throughout the country. He is also exploring ways to deliver ECT in the safest and most effective way. In collaboration with Alan Mendelowitz, MD, he just completed a study that found that patients who don't respond to clozapine can respond to a combination therapy of clozapine and ECT.  Dr. Petrides serves on the board of directors of the International Society of Neuromodulation (ISN). Together with Sam Baline, MD, he co-directs a week-long course that trains and certifies psychiatrists to practice ECT. This course takes place at The Zucker Hillside Hospital and draws attendance from physicians around the world.

Select Publications

Rasmussen K, Mueller M, Kellner CH, Knapp R, Petrides G, Rummans T, Husain M, O’Connor K, Black J, Sampson S, Fink M.  “Patterns of Psychotropic Medication Use Among Severely Depressed Patients Referred for Electroconvulsive Therapy: Data from the Consortium for Research on ECT.”  The Journal of ECT, 22(2): 116-123, 2006

Yero SA, McKinney T, Petrides G, Goldstein I, Kellner CH.  “Successful use of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Two Cases of Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome and Bipolar Disorder.”  The Journal of ECT, 22(4): 274-5, 2006

Kellner CH, Knapp R, Petrides G, Rummans T, Husain M, Rasmussen K, Mueller M, Bernstein H, O’Connor  K, Smith G, Biggs M, Bailine S, Malur C, Yim E, McClintock S, Sampson S, Fink M; for the CORE** group.  “Continuation ECT versus Pharmacotherapy for Relapse Prevention in Major Depression: a multi-site study from CORE.”  The Archives of General Psychiatry, 63: 1337-1344, 2006

Fink M, Petrides G, Kellner C, Mueller M, Knapp R, Husain MM, Rasmussen K, Rummans T, O'Connor K; CORE Group. Change in seizure threshold during electroconvulsive therapy. The Journal of ECT. Jun;24(2):114-6 2008

Fink M, Petrides G, Kellner C, Mueller M, Knapp R, Husain MM, Rasmussen K, Rummans T, O'Connor K; CORE Group. Change in seizure threshold during electroconvulsive therapy. The Journal of ECT  Jun;24(2):114-6. 2008

Martino C, Krysko M, Petrides G, Tobias KG, Kellner CH. Cognitive tolerability of electroconvulsive therapy in a patient with a history of traumatic brain injury.
The Journal of ECT  Mar;24(1):92-5. 2008

Rasmussen KG, Mueller M, Rummans TA, Husain MM, Petrides G, Knapp RG, Fink M, Sampson SM, Bailine SH, Kellner CH. Is baseline medication resistance associated with potential for relapse after successful remission of a depressive episode with ECT? Data from the Consortium for Research on Electroconvulsive Therapy (CORE). Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2009 Feb;70(2):232-7.

Ligas A, Petrides G, Istafanous R, Kellner CH. Successful electroconvulsive therapy in a patient with intellectual disability and bipolar disorder, with catatonic features misdiagnosed as encephalopathy. The Journal of ECT 2009 Sep;25(3):202-4

Petrides G, Braga RJ, Fink M, Mueller M, Knapp R, Husain M,  Rummans T, Bailine S, Malur C, O’Connor K, Kellner CH. Seizure Threshold in a Large Sample: Implications for Stimulus Dosing Strategies in Bilateral ECT. A Report from CORE.  The Journal of ECT  In Press.

Bailine S, Fink M, Knapp R, Petrides G, Husain M, Rasmussen K, Sampson S, Mueller M, McClintock S, Tobias K, Kellner C. ECT is Equally Effective in Unipolar and Bipolar Depression: A CORE Study. Acta Scandinavica Psychiatrica, In Press

Kellner CH,  Knapp R, Husain M, Rasmussen K, Sampson S, Cullum M, McClintock SM, Tobias KG, Martino C, Mueller M, Bailine S, Fink M, Petrides G. Bifrontal, Bitemporal, and Right Unilateral Electrode Placement in ECT: A Randomized Trial. British Journal of Psychiatry, In Press