Electroconvulsive Therapy and the Long-Term Risk of Dementia: Conceptual Issues, Methodological Issues, and Recent Findings

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28 Oct 2026 0 comments

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) induces changes in brain functioning. It requires a generalized seizure to be effective and is associated with anterograde and retrograde amnestic deficits that are mostly mild and short-lasting. For these and other reasons, the treatment has been claimed to cause brain damage and has fueled the consequent question of whether it increases the long-term risk of dementia. The question related to dementia risk is important because ECT-treated cohorts tend to be older...