ECT

Q: Name a non-psychiatric disease for which electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) can be used?



Answer: Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS)

Most of the literature in this regard is anecdotal and based on less than 100 case-reports. ECT can be considered as a last resort for treatment in NMS when drug therapy fails. Although some relationship is suspected with underlying psychiatric disorders particularly catatonia or medications on a patient's profile, the response is found to be not predictable on the basis of age, gender, psychiatric diagnosis or any particular feature of NMS including catatonia. 

#psychiatry
#neurology


References:

1. Trollor JN, Chen X, Chitty K, Sachdev PS. Comparison of neuroleptic malignant syndrome induced by first- and second-generation antipsychotics. Br J Psychiatry. 2012 Jul. 201(1):52-6. 2. 

2. Morcos, N; Rosinski, A; Maixner, D. F. Electroconvulsive Therapy for Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome. A Case Series. The Journal of ECT: December 2019 - Volume 35 - Issue 4 - p 225–230