This is often referred to as treatment-resistant depression.
This includes severeagitationinAlzheimer’s diseaseandother kinds of dementia.
When it was initially developed, there were far fewer safeguards in place.
Westend61 / Getty Images
In these cases, if other interventions are ineffective, some physicians may recommend ECT treatments.
How Is ECT Administered?
Electroconvulsive therapy involves the administration of electrical stimulation to the brain which causes a briefseizure.
Before undergoing ECT, a person is givengeneral anesthesiaand medication to relax their muscles.
The seizure sparked by ECT will typically last about 30 seconds to a minute.
Side Effects
Side effects includeheadaches, nausea, muscle soreness, memory loss, and confusion.
Complications
There is conflicting research about the effects of ECT on cognition.
Effectiveness
Using ECT to treat agitation and aggression in dementia is a less-researched approach.
The above-listed study, for example, only had 23 participants.
A doctor must take other diagnoses and medical history into account.
An informed consent form will need to be signed in advance of receiving this therapy.
A Word From Verywell
ECT may be a helpful option for treating agitation and aggression in dementia.
However, there is a lack of research definitively qualifying its benefits in this respect.
2019 Jan 4;9(1):1-6. doi:10.5498/wjp.v9.i1.1
Salik I, Marwaha R.Electroconvulsive therapy.
In:StatPearls [Internet].
November 29, 2020.
2020 May;6(3):e40.
