Abstract
The authors report that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can be used safely and effectively in patients over age 85 with concurrent psychiatric and medical problems. Affective and psychotic illnesses are common and debilitating in geriatric patients. This same population has a high frequency of medical comorbidity, which makes it difficult for patients to tolerate adequate doses of standard pharmacotherapies to treat psychiatric problems. Also, many of these individuals are nonresponsive to psychopharmacologic therapies tried. Consequently, ECT becomes an important treatment option in elderly patients.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 126-130 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1997 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geriatrics and Gerontology
- Psychiatry and Mental health