Long-term neurocognitive functioning after electroconvulsive therapy in patients with late-life depression.

Patients with late-life depression do not show deleterious cognitive effects 6 months following an ECT index course, although there are considerable differences at an individual level. Clinicians should not hesitate to prescribe ECT in older patients, as most of these patients will tolerate the treatment course and a small group will even experience a cognitive enhancement. However, clinicians should be aware that a small group of patients can experience cognitive side-effects. Further study is needed to predict which patients have a higher risk of developing cognitive side-effects.