ABSTRACT
Mr. H is a 57-year-old male with a history of severe recurrent depression. After several trials with different antidepressant drugs, a series of electroconvulsive treatments (ECT) had been started with good success and continued during his treatment in a day clinic. After several ECT treatments without complications, the patient developed aspiration pneumonia, making a transfer to an intensive care unit necessary. Interviews revealed that Mr. H had ingested food during the night before ECT, although he had been instructed to refrain from eating for 12 hours before ECT. Mr. H reported that he had noticed food or signs of nocturnal eating in the morning for several weeks. At times, he had found a half-eaten bowl of cornflakes in the morning in the kitchen without having any recollection of getting up and eating it in the night. Also, crumbs and food remains were found in the kitchen and other rooms. After remission of pneumonia, the patient was admitted to the sleep laboratory for a detailed evaluation with the suspicion of a sleep-related eating disorder.
