Objectives

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment for depressive disorders and approved for use in adolescents and adults, but it is unclear whether efficacy or cognitive side effect burden differs with age or if effectiveness in usual clinical practice matches that in prospective studies. We examined the effects of ECT on depression and cognition in a large clinical cohort.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of patients ages 16 and older receiving ECT between 2011 and 2020 and who were evaluated with the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS), the Behavior and Symptom Identification Scale-24 (BASIS-24), and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) at baseline and after treatment #10.

Results

Among 1,698 patients, ECT was associated with a decrease in depression symptoms (QIDS reduction from 17.1±4.9. to 10.1±5.2) and improvement in self-reported mental health (BASIS-24 scores improved from 1.92±0.55 to 1.17±0.60). There was a reduction in MoCA scores from 25.8±3.1 to 25.4±3.1. In multivariate models, age was not associated with a differential QIDS or BASIS-24 response, but older age was associated with a lesser reduction in MoCA.

Conclusion

Among 1,698 patients aged 16 and older, ECT was associated with improvement in depression and overall self-reported mental health, with a slight decrease in cognition. Age was not associated with changes in efficacy, but older age was associated with a lesser cognitive change as measured by the MoCA. These results provide normative data of real-world effectiveness of ECT, and add further support to its utility in patients with severe psychiatric illness.