Use of ECT in patients with organic catatonia

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is considered to be a treatment of choice in patients with catatonia, who do not respond to lorazepam, irrespective of the underlying aetiology. Although, significant data is available for successful use of ECT in patients with catatonia secondary to affective and psychotic disorders, little information is available for use of ECT in organic catatonia.

To assess demographic and clinical profile of patients with organic catatonia receiving ECT.

Using a retrospective study design, ECT register of the department was reviewed for the period of 2019-2023 to identify the patients with organic catatonia, who received ECT. The treatment records of these patients were reviewed to extract the demographic and clinical profile.

During the study period, out of the 926 patients who received ECT, 12 (1.3 %) patients diagnosed with organic catatonia received ECT. The mean age of study sample was 41.67 (SD- 20.68) years and mean number of ECTs given in a course of ECT were 8 (SD- 4.3). In majority of the patients, ECT was considered after the failure of lorazepam challenge test. Majority (75 %) of the patients showed good response to ECT and only 16.67 % of the patients experienced complications during the course of ECT.

ECT is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for organic catatonia.