Electroshock therapy

Electroshock therapy, also known as Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), is a medical treatment most commonly used in patients with severe major depression or bipolar disorder that has not responded to other treatments. ECT involves a brief electrical stimulation of the brain while the patient is under anesthesia.

History

ECT was first developed in 1938 by Italian neurologists Ugo Cerletti and Lucio Bini, and was used worldwide throughout the 1940s and 1950s.

Procedure

During ECT, a patient is put under general anesthesia and a muscle relaxant is given. Electrodes are placed on the patient's scalp and a finely controlled electric current is applied. This current causes a brief seizure in the brain. The patient wakes up after about 5 to 10 minutes, does not remember the treatment or events surrounding it, and is often confused.

Uses

ECT is used to treat:

• Severe depression, particularly when accompanied by detachment from reality (psychosis), a desire to commit suicide, or refusal to eat.
• Treatment-resistant depression, a severe depression that doesn't improve with medications or other treatments.
• Severe forms of manic episodes, either as a part of bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder.
• Catatonia, characterized by lack of movement, fast or strange movements, lack of speech, and other symptoms. It's associated with schizophrenia and certain other psychiatric disorders. In some cases, catatonia is caused by a medical illness.

Risks

ECT can cause side effects, such as confusion and memory loss. Although these side effects usually improve within a few days or weeks, they can sometimes last longer.

Effectiveness

Many studies have found that ECT is the most effective treatment for depression, particularly when patients have not responded well to other treatments.

See also

• Psychiatry
• Mental health
• Depression
• Bipolar disorder

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