ECT in Geriatric Psychiatry: New Review From Emory Docs

 Out on PubMed, from authors in Atlanta, is this review:

The Use of ECT in the Elderly-Looking Beyond Depression.

Chatham AN, Shafi H, Hermida AP.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2022 Jul 13. doi: 10.1007/s11920-022-01353-0. Online ahead of print. PMID: 35829850 Review.

The abstract is copied below:


Purpose of review: We reviewed recent evidence on the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the geriatric population. This review looked at the literature on depression, for which there is a breadth of data, as well as other conditions that have historically not been as well studied, as well as attempting to provide practical recommendations for ECT practitioners. This review also examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ECT in the elderly.

Recent findings: ECT shows robust efficacy across many psychiatric diseases, from depression and bipolar disorder to psychosis and catatonia. It has also shown positive results at improving behavioral symptoms of dementia, as well as improving motor symptoms seen in Parkinson's disease. It is routinely found to be a safe treatment as well, generally with only minimal transient side effects. ECT should not be considered a "last-resort" treatment for geriatric patients suffering from psychiatric disorders. It has historical and recent literature supporting its use in many psychiatric disorders and has been shown to be safe with minimal side effects when appropriate considerations are taken for the elderly population.

Keywords: Dementia; Depression; ECT; Elderly; Electroconvulsive therapy; Geriatric.

And from the text:

This is an in-depth review of ECT in the geriatric population, starting with depression, but emphasizing neuropsychiatric conditions including PD, dementia and delirium. The tone is upbeat and positive, emphasizing efficacy, safety and tolerability with contemporary ECT techniques.
Hopefully, this review will be read by many health care providers in diverse medical specialties, encouraging early, and more, consideration of ECT for seriously ill geriatric patients in the diagnostic categories covered.
Kudos to Dr. Hermida for mentoring her colleagues in writing this helpful contribution to the ECT literature.



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