Long-term weekly continuation electroconvulsive therapy: a case series

Despite best efforts with continuation pharmacotherapy, many patients relapse after a successful course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Although maintenance ECT can be a useful and cost-effective treatment modality, there is considerable heterogeneity on how it is used. The authors report a case series of 3 patients ages 68, 43, and 81 years with diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and major depression with psychotic features who required weekly ECT treatments for several years. All attempts to space treatments led to rapid decompensation. None of the patients experienced clinical evidence of any treatment related cognitive or physical morbidity.