Transient aphasia after right-unilateral ultrabrief electroconvulsive therapy: A case report

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a medical treatment most often used for patients with severe major depression or other serious mental illnesses that have not responded to other treatments.
• Adverse effects of ECT are typically transient, with cognitive impairments being the most commonly reported.
• Aphasia, a deficit in language production or comprehension, is an extremely rare and underreported adverse effect of ECT.

Observation:

• This report details a unique case of a 35-year-old woman who experienced a brief period of aphasia following an outpatient electroconvulsive therapy session.
• The patient's aphasic symptoms were monitored using clinical assessments and the Czech version of the Minnesota Aphasia Screening Test.

Findings:

• The case demonstrates that transient aphasia can occur as an adverse effect of electroconvulsive therapy, even in an outpatient setting.
• The utilization of a standardized screening tool, the Minnesota Aphasia Screening Test, aided in the clinical monitoring of the aphasic symptoms.

Implications:

• This case underscores the importance of recognizing and monitoring for rare adverse effects associated with electroconvulsive therapy.
• Further research is needed to determine the true prevalence and underlying mechanisms of ECT-induced aphasia.
• Clinicians should be aware of the potential for language disturbances after ECT and consider appropriate diagnostic evaluations.