Failure to respond to adequate pharmacological treatment for major depression is now the most common indication for the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The advantages of ECT with respect to both speed and quality of response are clinically important issues, but surprisingly few studies have examined the efficacy of ECT in relation to newer antidepressant agents such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). A total of 39 subjects with major depression and with at least two failed antidepressant trials (mean 4.9 trials) were randomized to either paroxetine treatment (n=18) or right unilateral (RUL) ECT (n=21). Up to the end of the study treatment we found a reduction in the HAMD score of 59% for the ECT group and of 29% for the paroxetine group (P<0.001 paired t-test). In the ECT group, 71% of subjects fulfilled the response criteria (at least a 50% decrease in total HAMD score). The present study found ECT to be superior to paroxetine in medication-resistant major depression, in terms of both degree and speed of response.

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A cooperative breeding case was found in Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (LSW) in which a male and three different females were involved. The contributions of each member of the cooperative breeding team were quantified during nest excavation and incubation. This is the first such report on LSW. During daytime, the nest was mainly occupied by the male during the final excavation phase, nest guarding, and egg laying. Aggressive interactions were recorded between two of the females during nest excavation, egg laying and incubation. The male was recorded destroying an egg presumably laid by the dominant female. The highest contribution during daytime incubation was made by the dominant female (39%), followed by the male (34%) and then by a second female (27%). The third female contributed very little at any stage. A picture of the male removing the egg was analyzed to estimate the egg maximum width, ruling out a possible runt egg. Motivations behind the behaviour of the male destroying the egg remain unclear.