what is electroconvulsive treatment?

What should you consider about electroconvulsive therapy?

You can find more information about:

• Depression by clicking here.
• Bipolar disorder by clicking here.
• Schizophrenia by clicking here.

Should we stop using electroconvulsive therapy?

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has a long history and pre-dates current drug treatments in psychiatry. It continues to attract controversy about the balance between its efficacy and adverse effects in a highly polarised debate (e.g. Read Reference Read, Cunliffe and Jauhar 2019b).. The review in this month's Review Corner (Read Reference Read, Cunliffe and Jauhar 2019a) is written from a ...

What are the most common electroconvulsive therapy side effects?

What are the side effects of ECT?

• Memory loss. Many people experience memory loss after having ECT. Some people find this only lasts for a short time and their memories gradually return as they recover from ECT.
• Immediate side effects. You may experience other side effects immediately after treatment. ...
• Longer-term side effects. Was this page useful? ...

Is ECT worth it?

Is ECT worth it? – The effectiveness of ECT Researchers and healthcare professionals have observed the life-changing and life-saving benefits of electroconvulsive therapy for decades and some of them describe modern ECT as the fastest and most effective way for patients to completely recover from depression.

What is electroconvulsive treatment used for?

What is Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)? 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.

What is the procedure of electroconvulsive therapy?

Overview. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a procedure, done under general anesthesia, in which small electric currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. ECT seems to cause changes in brain chemistry that can quickly reverse symptoms of certain mental health conditions.

Is electroconvulsive therapy painful?

In a 1986 survey of 166 patients who had received ECT, psychiatrists C.P.L. Freeman and R. E. Kendell of the University of Edinburgh found that 68 percent reported that the experience was no more upsetting than a visit to the dentist. For the others, ECT was more unpleasant than dentistry, but it was not painful.

Is electroconvulsive therapy still used?

But electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is still being used -- more in Europe than the United States -- and it may be the most effective short-term treatment for some patients with depressive symptoms, a newly published review in the journal The Lancet suggests.

Can ECT cause death?

Conclusion: The ECT-related mortality rate was estimated at 2.1 per 100 000 treatments. In comparison, a recent analysis of the mortality of general anesthesia in relation to surgical procedures reported a mortality rate of 3.4 per 100 000. Our findings document that death caused by ECT is an extremely rare event.

Can ECT damage your brain?

The review of literature and present evidence suggests that ECT has a demonstrable impact on the structure and function of the brain. However, there is a lack of evidence at present to suggest that ECT causes brain damage.

How much memory do you lose with ECT?

Safety: among 7 studies that reported on memory loss, the rate of persistent or permanent memory loss after ECT ranged from 29% to 55%.

Is ECT worth the risk?

Risk Assessment of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Clinical Routine: A 3-Year Analysis of Life-Threatening Events in More Than 3,000 Treatment Sessions. Background: Extensive research has reported that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can be highly effective in approximately 80% of patients suffering from depression.

What are the side effects of electroconvulsive therapy?

Immediate side effectsdrowsiness (you may sleep for a while)confusion.headache.feeling sick.aching muscles.loss of appetite.

Why is ECT so controversial?

Reasons for Controversy Three reasons are given for the aversion: 1) ECT is considered old-fashioned and politically incorrect; 2) it is forced on the patient; and 3) the memory disturbances are so severe and persistent that no rational human being would undergo this procedure, no matter how well-intended.

What is the difference between electroshock therapy and electroconvulsive therapy?

Electroshock therapy, also known as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), is a treatment for severe major depression, bipolar depression, and other mental health conditions. Psychiatrists may recommend ECT when a person does not respond well to other treatments.

What is the success rate of ECT?

Typically, ECT (whether inpatient or outpatient) is given two to three times a week for a total of six to twelve sessions. Some patients may need more or fewer treatments. These sessions improve depression in 70 to 90 percent of patients, a response rate much higher than that of antidepressant drugs.

Do they have to shave your head for ECT?

During surgery prep, you'll have your head shaved. You may be kept unconscious throughout brain surgery with general anesthesia or stay awake with a local anesthetic used on your scalp. A sturdy frame will hold your head to prevent movement during surgery.

How many sessions of ECT are needed?

ECT is usually given twice a week for 3-6 weeks, meaning you might have around 6-12 sessions. You should be assessed after each treatment to see if another one is necessary, or isn't advisable. ECT tends to provide short-term improvements, so it can be helpful to try other types of treatments after having it.

Do you need to shave your head for ECT?

Once the patient is under anaesthesia, two electrodes are held to the scalp - no cutting or shaving of hair is necessary - through which a small electric current is applied by an ECT machine. “The duration, nature and strength of the current is carefully controlled and determined by the psychiatrist.

How does ECT work on the brain?

ECT, given to depressed patients under anesthesia and after taking a muscle relaxer, sends electrical pulses to the brain through electrodes applied to the head. The electrical stimulation triggers a seizure.

What is the treatment for ECT?

This typically means psychotherapy and/or medication or, in some circumstances, ongoing ECT treatments.

What is ECT therapy?

What is Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)? 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.

What is ECT in medical terms?

ECT involves a brief electrical stimulation of the brain while the patient is under anesthesia. It is typically administered by a team of trained medical professionals that includes a psychiatrist, an anesthesiologist, and a nurse or physician assistant.

How often is TMS given?

TMS is usually administered four or five times a week for four-to-six weeks. Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) was developed as a treatment for seizure disorders but can also be used to treat depression that has not responded to other therapies.

What are the side effects of ECT?

The most common side effects of ECT on the day of treatment include nausea, headache, fatigue, confusion, and slight memory loss, which may last minutes to hours.

What test is needed for ECT?

Before beginning a series of ECT treatments, a patient should receive a thorough psychiatric assessment, including a medical examination and sometimes a basic blood test and an electrocardiogram (ECG) to check heart health.

When is ECT used?

ECT is typically used when other treatments, including medications and psychotherapy, haven’t worked. ECT is also used for people who require a rapid treatment response because of the severity of their condition, such as being at risk for suicide.

What Is Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)?

ECT is among the safest and most effective treatments available for depression. With ECT, electrodes are placed on the patient's scalp and a finely controlled electric current is applied while the patient is under general anesthesia. The current causes a brief seizure in the brain. ECT is one of the fastest ways to relieve symptoms in severely depressed or suicidal patients. It's also very effective for patients who suffer from mania or a number of other mental illnesses.

When is ECT used?

ECT is generally used when severe depression is unresponsive to other forms of therapy. Or it might be used when patients pose a severe threat to themselves or others and it is too dangerous to wait until medications take effect. Although ECT has been used since the 1940s and 1950s, it remains misunderstood by the general public.

Who Might Benefit From ECT?

According to the American Psychiatric Association, ECT can be beneficial and safe in the following situations:

What Is Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)?

While ECT uses an electric current to induce seizure, TMS creates a magnetic field to induce a much smaller electric current in a specific part of the brain without causing seizure or loss of consciousness. The current is caused by the magnetic field created by an electromagnetic coil that delivers the pulses through the forehead.

What Is Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)?

A vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) device was approved by the FDA for adult patients with long-term or recurrent major depression. Some patients who undergo VNS may have been taking many medications for depression yet continue to suffer with its symptoms.

What Alternative Treatments Are Used for Depression?

Alternative treatments can sometimes provide relief that traditional Western medicine cannot. While some alternative therapies have become accepted as part of modern health care practice, others still have not been proven safe or effective.

How does ECT work?

With ECT, an electric current is briefly applied through the scalp to the brain, inducing a seizure. In addition, alternative therapies such as yoga and hypnosis sometimes work for mild depression.

How many volts does an electroconvulsive therapy use?

Typically, 70 to 120 volts are applied externally to the patient's head resulting in approximately 800 milliamperes of direct current passed through the brain, for 100 milliseconds to 6 seconds duration, either from temple to temple (bilateral ECT) or from front to back of one side of the head (unilateral ECT).

Where is the Electroconvulsive Therapy Machine?

Electroconvulsive therapy machine on display at Glenside Museum in Bristol, England. ECT device produced by Siemens and used for example at the Asyl psychiatric hospital in Kristiansand, Norway from the 1960s to the 1980s.

How many ECT machines are there in China?

As of 2012, there are approximately 400 ECT machines in China, and 150,000 ECT treatments are performed each year. Chinese national practice guidelines recommend ECT for the treatment of schizophrenia, depressive disorders, and bipolar disorder and in the Chinese literature, ECT is an effective treatment for schizophrenia and mood disorders. Although the Chinese government stopped classifying homosexuality as an illness in 2001, electroconvulsive therapy is still used by some establishments as a form of " conversion therapy ".

How long does it take for a person to relapse from ECT?

There is little agreement on the most appropriate follow-up to ECT for people with major depressive disorder. When ECT is followed by treatment with antidepressants, about 50% of people relapsed by 12 months following successful initial treatment with ECT, with about 37% relapsing within the first 6 months.

What is ECT used for?

ECT is used to treat people who have severe or prolonged mania; NICE recommends it only in life-threatening situations or when other treatments have failed and as a second-line treatment for bipolar mania.

What is Sarah Goldfarb's treatment for?

In the 2000 film Requiem for a Dream, Sarah Goldfarb receives "unmodified" electroconvulsive therapy after experiencing severe amphetamine psychosis following prolonged stimulant abuse. Unlike typical ECT treatment, she is given no anesthetic or medication before.

When did ECT become popular?

ECT became popular in the US in the 1940s. At the time, psychiatric hospitals were overrun with patients whom doctors were desperate to treat and cure. Whereas lobotomies would reduce a patient to a more manageable submissive state, ECT helped to improve mood in those with severe depression. A survey of psychiatric practice in the late 1980s found that an estimated 100,000 people received ECT annually, with wide variation between metropolitan statistical areas. Accurate statistics about the frequency, context and circumstances of ECT in the US are difficult to obtain because only a few states have reporting laws that require the treating facility to supply state authorities with this information. In 13 of the 50 states, the practice of ECT is regulated by law. In the mid-1990s in Texas, ECT was used in about one third of psychiatric facilities and given to about 1,650 people annually. Usage of ECT has since declined slightly; in 2000–01 ECT was given to about 1500 people aged from 16 to 97 (in Texas it is illegal to give ECT to anyone under sixteen). ECT is more commonly used in private psychiatric hospitals than in public hospitals, and minority patients are underrepresented in the ECT statistics. In the United States, ECT is usually given three times a week; in the United Kingdom, it is usually given twice a week. Occasionally it is given on a daily basis. A course usually consists of 6–12 treatments, but may be more or fewer. Following a course of ECT some patients may be given continuation or maintenance ECT with further treatments at weekly, fortnightly or monthly intervals. A few psychiatrists in the US use multiple-monitored ECT (MMECT), where patients receive more than one treatment per anesthetic. Electroconvulsive therapy is not a required subject in US medical schools and not a required skill in psychiatric residency training. Privileging for ECT practice at institutions is a local option: no national certification standards are established, and no ECT-specific continuing training experiences are required of ECT practitioners.

What is ECT therapy?

What is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)? Electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT for short, is a treatment that involves sending an electric current through your brain, causing a brief surge of electrical activity within your brain (also known as a seizure).

What problems can ECT treat?

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that ECT is only used to achieve quick, short-term improvements if you have:

What are the benefits of ECT?

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that ECT is only used to achieve quick, short-term improvements if you have: 1 severe or life-threatening depression and your life is at risk so you need urgent treatment 2 moderate to severe depression and other treatments such as medication and talking therapies haven't helped you 3 catatonia (staying frozen in one position, or making very repetitive or restless movements) 4 a severe or long-lasting episode of mania.

When was ECT used?

ECT was used far more in the 1950s to 1970s than it is today, and it was used without anaesthetic and often without consent. This has sometimes been shown in films and TV shows, which may not reflect how ECT is carried out today. It can sometimes cause memory loss.

Is repeated ECT good for schizophrenia?

a severe or long-lasting episode of mania. Repeated ECT is only recommended if you have previously responded well to it, or if all other options have been considered. ECT is not recommended for ongoing management of schizophrenia, or as a routine treatment for mild to moderate depression.

Can ECT be used for schizophrenia?

You can read full guidelines on the NICE website for using ECT to treat catatonia, mania or schizophrenia, and as one of the treatments for moderate or severe depression.

Can you get ECT without being offered other treatments?

Some people are offered ECT without being offered other treatments they may prefer to try first , such as talking therapies for depression.

How does electroconvulsive therapy work?

How Electroconvulsive Therapy Works. With ECT, an electrical stimulation is delivered to the brain and causes a seizure. For reasons that doctors don't completely understand, this seizure helps relieve the symptoms of depression. ECT does not cause any structural damage to the brain.

How many ECT sessions are needed?

The number of required sessions varies. Many people have six to 12 sessions administered 2-3 times per week over a period of several weeks. After initial treatment, you might require further ECT treatments in addition to depression medicine and therapy to prevent your depression from returning.

What are the risks of ECT?

Risks and Side Effects of ECT. The most common side effect of ECT is short-term memory loss. However, some people report that they have long-term memory loss, as well. ECT also causes a brief rise in heart rate and blood pressure during the procedure, so it may not be recommended in people with unstable heart problems.

What is the best treatment for depression?

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) for Depression. For some people with severe or hard-to-treat depression, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the best treatment. This treatment, sometimes referred to as "electroshock therapy," is often misunderstood and incorrectly portrayed by popular media as a harsh, cruel treatment.

Does ECT work for depression?

Studies have shown that ECT works for many people who have treatment-resistant depression. One study of 39 people with treatment-resistant depression compared the effects of an antidepressant with ECT. After two to three weeks, 71% of people who received ECT had a positive response to treatment.

Does ECT cause brain damage?

ECT does not cause any structural damage to the brain. The procedure itself typically requires a stay in the hospital, although more and more it is being performed on an outpatient basis. During the procedure, you will be put to sleep under general anesthesia. You won't feel anything.

Is electroshock therapy a painless procedure?

In reality, it is a painless medical procedure performed under general anesthesia that is considered one of the most effective treatments for severe depression. It can be lifesaving.

Why It's Done

Risks

How You Prepare

What You Can Expect

• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can provide rapid, significant improvements in severe symptoms of several mental health conditions. ECT is used to treat: 1. Severe depression,particularly when accompanied by detachment from reality (psychosis), a desire to commit suicide or refusal to e…

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Does Ect Work?

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What Are The Risks and Benefits?

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