Should electroconvulsive therapy be more routinely used in the treatment of depression in elderly patients with cognitive disturbances?

ISSN 1758-2008 10.2217/NPY.11.48 © 2011 Future Medicine Ltd Neuropsychiatry (2011) 1(5), 403–407 1Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Square J5, University of Heidelberg, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany 2Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany †Author for correspondence: [email protected] The Central Institute of Mental Health is a reference center for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and we have extensive experience in the application of the procedure to geriatric patients with severe or drug treatment-resistant affective disorders and/or pre-existing cognitive impairment. This article will give a short update of current knowledge about the use of ECT in geriatric psychiatric patients and in particular in depressed patients with pre-existing cognitive disturbances. The practical intention is to deliver systematic information on the indications for ECT in clinical practice, with particular emphasis on its application in depressive patients with pre-existing cognitive impairment.