Improving ECT Outcomes in Late-Life Depression I

In this issue of the Journal, Lisanby, McClintock et al. report on the long-term neurocognitive effects of a novel maintenance protocol for older patients receiving ECT for the treatment of major depression.1 This study, part of the larger Prolonging Remission in Depressed Elderly (PRIDE) trial, incorporates many of the advances in ECT research over the past 50 years. These advances have focused on decreasing the potential for ECT-related side effects, most notably neurocognitive side effects, while maintaining the remarkable efficacy of ECT in treatment resistant depression.