Brain stimulation in elderly patients

Brain stimulation in psychiatry is developing around the world. Although these techniques could be applied very effectively in the elderly, they may sometimes not be used by reluctance in favour of pharmacological therapies. However, the use of some of these techniques in this population remains underestimated and will be a therapeutic challenge at the beginning of this 21st century. From various studies conducted across Europe, this symposium discusses current data on the benefits and risks of clinical use of different non-invasive brain stimulation treatments (ECT, rTMS) in the elderly, sometimes in complex clinical cases:Predictive response factors of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in drug-resistant depression in the elderly by B Calvet; Effect of cholinesterase inhibitors on Cognitive Performance in elderly patients under Electroconvulsive Therapy by C Quilès; Old age related features in ECT by D Mota; Special Issues in ECT for old age patients by S Ferreira.