Recent advances in electroconvulsive therapy in clinical practice and research

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), the oldest somatic therapy still in use in psychiatry today, remains one of the most effective therapeutic interventions for a wide variety of psychiatric disorders. In this article, we review some of the recent advances in ECT that are currently being researched and implemented in clinical practice. We explore recent studies that point to the potential therapeutic benefit and safety of ECT in COVID-19-related neuropsychiatric complications and special populations (such as the elderly and pregnant persons) that are generally at higher risk of having adverse effects from psychotropic medications. We highlight studies that performed a head-to-head comparison of ECT and ketamine, which has shown promise for treatment-resistant depression and acute suicidality. Researchers continue to explore different ways of using ECT by modifying the treatment parameters to maintain efficacy and decrease side effects. Neurocognitive side effects remain one of the major drawbacks to its use and contribute to the negative stigma of this highly effective treatment. In this regard, we describe attempts to improve the safety of ECT by modifying dosing parameters, novel electrode placements, and the addition of augmenting agents with the aim of decreasing side effects and improving efficacy. This review identifies some of the recent advances in the last few years in ECT research while also highlighting areas where further research is needed.