Chronic facial pain together with severe depression is responsive to electroconvulsive therapy: A case report

Abstract

Electraconvulsive therapy (Em) is widely accepted as a treatment for severe depression, but is seldom used in the treatment of chronic pain even though chronic pain and depression frequently occur together. This study presents a case in which ECT relieved both severe depression and chronic pain. It seems that the recognition of depressive disorders merits more attention and that ECT as a treatment for chronic pain in patients with severe depression should be taken into consideration in cases in which other treatments have failed.□ Chronic pain; depression; electroconvulsive therapy; facial pain