Frontiers in Psychiatry
Comparative efficacy and cognitive safety of bifrontal versus bitemporal electroconvulsive therapy in adolescents with major depressive disorder: a retrospective cohort study
Background Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains a rapid and highly effective treatment for severe, treatment-resistant depression in adolescents, particularly when immediate suicide risk is present. However, its clinical utilization in the pediatric population is still low, largely restricted by pervasive concerns regarding cognitive impairment. While randomized trials in adults suggest that bifrontal (BF) electrode placement offers a superior cognitive safety profile compared to the standard bitemporal (BT) pla …