Electroconvulsive

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), formerly known as electroshock therapy, is a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in patients to provide relief from mental disorders. The ECT procedure was first conducted in 1938 and is the only currently used form of shock therapy in psychiatry. ECT is often used with informed consent as a last line of intervention for major depressive disorder, mania, and catatonia.

Procedure

ECT is administered under anesthesia with a muscle relaxant. Electroconvulsive therapy can differ in its application in three ways: placement of electrodes, frequency of treatments, and the electrical waveform of the stimulus. These three forms of application have significant differences in both adverse side effects and symptom remission.

Effectiveness

After treatment, patients may experience confusion and memory loss. Although the majority of patients report that their memory functions return to normal within six months after treatment, some report persistent memory deficits. ECT appears to work in the short term via an anticonvulsant effect mostly in the frontal lobes, and longer term via neurotrophic effects primarily in the medial temporal lobe.

Risks

ECT is considered one of the least harmful treatment options available for severely depressed, suicidal, or catatonic individuals. The mortality rate for ECT is rare, occurring in about one in 10,000 patients.

See also

• Psychiatry
• Major depressive disorder
• Mania
• Catatonia

References

Electroconvulsive Resources
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