ECT For Persons With Intellectual Disability: New Review From Germany

 Out on PubMed, from authors in germany, is this study:


Electroconvulsive therapy in people with intellectual disability].

Guhra M, Kreisel SH, Zilles-Wegner D, Sartorius A, Sappok T, Freundlieb N.Nervenarzt. 2024 Aug 21. doi: 10.1007/s00115-024-01713-6. Online ahead of print.PMID: 39240313 Review. German
The abstract is copied below:

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a highly effective treatment option for severe mental illness. Although people with intellectual disability (ID) have similar prevalence rates of mental disorders in comparison to the general population their access to ECT remains challenging. A systematic literature review was carried out on treatment with ECT in patients with ID and a case report on a patient with ID who underwent ECT is presented, to highlight a typical clinical routine. A total of 100 articles with 208 different case reports were retrieved. In summary, the results underline the effectiveness of ECT in people with ID, with side effects comparable to those in the general population. The ECT is effective in the treatment of severe affective and psychotic disorders and particularly in people with catatonia. The use of ECT can improve the patient's mental health and quality of life and is often a life-saving treatment option. The prophylaxis of relapses should be included as early as possible in the planning process. Providing an easy access to ECT treatment for people with ID is corroborated by its effectiveness and is in line with the right to equal treatment in accordance with article 25 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Catatonia; Electroconvulsive therapy; Intellectual disability; Mental disorder.

The article is here.
And from the text:




Here is a carefully compiled review of an important, but largely neglected, topic.
The literature review is comprehensive and the discussion of barriers to access well considered.
I chose not to Google translate the entire article from the German, since the abstract is very informative.
Kudos to these authors for an important contribution to the ECT literature.

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