Neuromodulation (ECT, TMS) at AACAP Annual Meeting 2026

Monday, October 26

• 13:00–15:00 · Lecture

  Accelerated Theta Burst Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression in ASD: From Open-Label Promise to Randomized Controlled Trial

  Rana Elmaghraby

  A talk within a symposium on depression in neurodiverse and gender-variant youth, covering accelerated theta burst stimulation for treatment-resistant depression in autistic youth, from open-label findings toward a randomized controlled trial.

  Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders · Child & Adolescent · Treatment-Resistant Depression

• 13:00–14:30 · Lecture · Clinical Perspectives

  ECT in Pediatric Treatment-Resistant Psychosis: Efficacy and Key Challenges

  Shruti Tilak

  Reviews the efficacy of ECT for treatment-resistant psychosis in young patients and the challenges involved.

  Child & Adolescent · Schizophrenia & Psychosis

• 16:00–18:00 · Lecture

  Neuromodulation for Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence and Clinical Advances in Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

  James Luccarelli

  Reviews the evidence and recent clinical advances for ECT and TMS in patients with autism spectrum disorder.

  Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Tuesday, October 27

• 08:00–10:00 · Lecture

  The Use of ECT for Catatonia in Autistic and Nonautistic Patients

  Joshua Ryan Smith

  Looks at ECT use for catatonia, comparing autistic and nonautistic patients.

  Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders · Catatonia

• Session · Clinical Case Conference

  Going From Lorazepam 140 Mg to Zero: A Cross-Country Transfer for Electroconvulsive Therapy

  Aishwarya Rajagopalan · Anastasia Klott · Jacob Feigal · Jonathan R. Komisar · Beau A. Carubia · Alejandra Chavez

  Case conference on severe malignant catatonia from anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis requiring a cross-country transfer for ECT, used to spotlight state-level legal barriers to pediatric ECT access, with the patient and family perspective included.

  Catatonia · Child & Adolescent · Inflammation & Immunopsychiatry

Wednesday, October 28

• 12:00–14:00 · Lecture

  Use of Electroconvulsive Therapy for Mood Disorders

  Neera Ghaziuddin

  Covers the use of ECT for mood disorders in young patients.

  Child & Adolescent · Depression

• 15:30–17:30 · Session

  Systemic Challenges to ECT Treatment for Youth: Clinical Cases Highlighting Barriers and Opportunities

  Rebecca Marshall · James Luccarelli · H. Yavuz Ince · Neera Ghaziuddin · Joshua Ryan Smith

  Case conference on treating youth with catatonia and comorbid illness when ECT access is limited by state laws. Reviews alternative treatments and ways to address systemic barriers to ECT.

  Catatonia · Child & Adolescent · Practice, Policy & Workforce

• Course · Institute

  Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Neurotherapeutics: The When and How of Initiating and Discontinuing Interventions

  Robyn P. Thom · Neera Ghaziuddin · Graham J. Emslie · Robert L. Findling · Raman Baweja · Bekir B. Artukoglu · Lee Wachtel

  Institute organized around starting and stopping treatment across antidepressants, antipsychotics, and stimulants, plus pediatric ECT and the psychotherapeutic dimensions of prescribing, with faculty including Graham Emslie and Robert Findling.

  Antipsychotic Prescribing · Child & Adolescent · Deprescribing & Polypharmacy

Thursday, October 29

• 11:30–13:30 · Lecture

  Electrophysiological Biomarkers and Neuromodulation for Executive-Function Deficits Across Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Innovative Approaches in ASD and Fragile X Syndrome

  Rana Elmaghraby

  Covers electrophysiological biomarkers and neuromodulation approaches targeting executive-function deficits in ASD and Fragile X syndrome.

  Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders · Neuroscience & Mechanisms

• 11:30–13:00 · Session

  Research Pipeline: New Findings on Therapeutics

  Robyn P. Thom · Paul E. Croarkin · Ann C. Childress · Fenil Patel · Camilla N. Regalia · Shaun Kohli · Eleanor J. Cole

  Brief oral presentations of new research on diagnostics, monitoring and treatment relevant to child and adolescent psychiatry, including pharmacokinetic, clinical trial, device and digital health studies, followed by Q&A.

  Child & Adolescent · Drug Pipeline & Clinical Trials

• 11:30–13:00 · Lecture · Research Pipeline: New Findings on Therapeutics

  Accelerated Theta Burst Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression in ASD: Clinical, Cognitive, and EEG Outcomes From the RESTORE Randomized Controlled Trial

  Rana Elmaghraby · Ernest Pedapati · Donald L. Gilbert · Fenil Patel

  Randomized trial results on accelerated theta burst stimulation for treatment-resistant depression in autistic patients, covering clinical, cognitive and EEG outcomes.

  Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders · Treatment-Resistant Depression

• 11:30–13:00 · Oral abstract

  Beyond Total Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) Scores: Symptom-Specific Effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) in Adolescents With Depression

  Eleanor J. Cole · Kiira M. Tietjen · Paul E. Croarkin

  Looks at which individual depressive symptoms, rather than total PHQ-9 scores, change with TMS treatment in adolescents with depression.

  Child & Adolescent · Depression

Posters (7)

• Efficacy of Photobiomodulation in Children and Adults With ASD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis — Lauren Hourani et al.
• Clinician Knowledge and Implementation Barriers to Adolescent Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ( TMS) After FDA Approval: A Cross‑Sectional Study — Katherine M. Stefani et al.
• Correlates of Port Placement in Patients Receiving ECT — Daniel P. Larson et al.
• Retrospective Study on Outcomes of ECT in Adolescents at a Tertiary Care Center in Kansas — Shruti Tilak et al.
• Age, Symptom Profile, and Neural Reward Circuit Activity Influence Improvement in Youth Depression With Frontostriatal Neuromodulation: Targeting Early Intervention — Kalyan Tripathy et al.
• Effectiveness of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Youth With Mood Disorders: A Naturalistic Study — Naok Kang et al.
• Scoping Review of Side Effects of ECT in Youth — Lindsay M. Oberman et al.

Friday, October 30

• 07:00–08:30 · Session

  Master Clinician Paul E. Croarkin, DO, MS: Evidence-Based Interventional Psychiatry in Children and Adolescents

  Paul E. Croarkin

  A clinical consultation breakfast reviewing evidence, safety, regulatory and ethical issues for TMS, ECT, electrical stimulation, ketamine/esketamine and emerging psychedelic approaches in youth with treatment-resistant disorders. Uses case-based discussion on patient selection and consent/assent.

  Child & Adolescent · Ketamine & Esketamine · Treatment-Resistant Depression

Posters (1)

• GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Adolescent Mood Disorders, Obesity, and Substance-Use Vulnerability: A Focused Review — Darius M. Hardie et al.

Saturday, October 31

Posters (2)

• Geographic Variation in Legal Access to Pediatric ECT in the United States: A Review of US State Laws — Darshini Shah et al.
• The Effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) on Suicidality in Pediatric Populations: A Scoping Review — Leanne Thomas et al.