ECT Ameliorates Treatment-Resistant Depression in Patient with Lewy Body Dementia

Out on PubMed, from authors in Turkiye, is this case report:

Electroconvulsive therapy ameliorates treatment-resistant depression in patient with Lewy body dementia.

Akgul YSS, Gultekin M, Demirel Ozsoy S.Neurocase. 2025 Apr 12:1-5. doi: 10.1080/13554794.2025.2490785. Online ahead of print.PMID: 40220014

The abstract is copied below:

Lewy body dementia (LBD), the second most common degenerative dementia after Alzheimer's disease, is frequently associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and apathy. These symptoms may precede cognitive decline, often resulting in misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has emerged as a promising option for treatment-resistant depression in LBD. This report describes a 68-year-old female patient with LBD who received multiple ECT sessions for persistent severe depression and suicidal ideation. ECT led to marked symptom improvement across several hospitalizations. This case underscores the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of neuropsychiatric symptoms in LBD and highlights ECT as a potential alternative when pharmacotherapy is inadequate. Early identification of LBD in patients with late-onset depression is essential to guide individualized treatment strategies.

Keywords: Depression; Lewy body dementia; dementia; electroconvulsive therapy; treatment-resistant depression.

The report is here.

And from the text:

This case report adds to the evidence base of the efficacy of ECT in Lewy Body Dementia. Of course, we know of the benefits of ECT in Parkinson's Disease and related entities.

Kudos to these Turkish authors.