title: Electroconvulsive Therapy in the Elderly: New Findings in Geriatric Depression.
abstract: This paper reviews recent research on the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in elderly depressed patients. The PubMed database was searched for literature published within the past 4 years, using the search terms: "electroconvulsive elderly," "electroconvulsive geriatric," "ECT and elderly," and "ECT elderly cognition." The studies in this review indicate excellent efficacy for ECT in geriatric patients. Adverse cognitive effects of ECT in this population are usually transient and not typically severe. In addition, continuation/maintenance ECT (C/M-ECT) may be a favorable strategy for relapse prevention in the elderly after a successful acute course of ECT. ECT is an important treatment option for depressed geriatric patients with severe and/or treatment-resistant illness. New data add to the evidence demonstrating that ECT is a highly effective, safe, and well-tolerated antidepressant treatment option for geriatric patients.
authors.affiliation: The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Psychiatry, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY, 10029, USA. Emma.geduldig@mssm.edu.
authors.forename: Emma T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Geduldig
authors.affiliation: The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Psychiatry, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY, 10029, USA. Charles.kellner@mssm.edu.
authors.forename: Charles H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kellner
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003071:Cognition; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents
keywords: Cognition; Depression; ECT; Electroconvulsive; Geriatric