Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 May;36(2):265-279.
doi: 10.1016/j.cger.2019.11.007. Epub 2019 Nov 15.

Electroconvulsive Therapy in Geriatric Psychiatry: A Selective Review

Justin P Meyer  1 , Samantha K Swetter  2 , Charles H Kellner  3
Affiliations
Review

Electroconvulsive Therapy in Geriatric Psychiatry: A Selective Review

Justin P Meyer et al. Clin Geriatr Med. 2020 May.

Abstract

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains an important treatment of geriatric patients. ECT treats severe depression, mania, psychosis, catatonia, and comorbid depression and agitation in dementia. ECT also serves a crucial role in treating urgent illness requiring expedient recovery, such as catatonia, or in patients with severe suicidal ideation or intent. ECT is even more effective in the elderly than in mixed-age adult populations. ECT is a safe treatment option with few medical contraindications. Cognitive effects are largely transient, even in patients with preexisting cognitive impairment.

Keywords: Cognition; Dementia; Depression; ECT; Electroconvulsive therapy; Geriatric; Parkinson’s.

PubMed Disclaimer