Are there guidelines for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)?
They are placed on the temples or elsewhere on the head, depending on the condition being treated and the type of ECT. The electrical stimulation, which lasts up to 8 seconds, produces a short seizure. Because of anesthesia, the seizure activity related to …
What is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for depression?
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What is an ECT treatment team?
Understanding Electroconvulsive Therapy Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), sometimes referred to as “shock therapy” by the general public, is a treatment with a great deal of stigma attached to it because it was isn’t well understood. ... Visit Us. 208 Valley Road. New Canaan, CT 06840. TEL: 1 866 542 4455. FAX: 1 203 567 8154. Make An ...
How do I prepare for an ECT appointment?
They are placed on the temples or elsewhere on the head, depending on the condition being treated and the type of ECT. The electrical stimulation, which lasts up to 8 seconds, produces a short seizure. Because of anesthesia, the seizure activity related to …
Where is electroconvulsive therapy performed?
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.Sep 4, 2020
What is the cost of ECT treatment?
ECT treatments cost $300 to $1,000 per treatment, with an initial course requiring five to 15 treatments followed by 10 to 20 maintenance treatments per year, the researchers noted. That means the annual cost can be more than $10,000, compared with a cost of several hundred dollars for many antidepressant medications.May 9, 2018
Do you have to be hospitalized for ECT?
The ECT procedure takes about five to 10 minutes, with added time for preparation and recovery. ECT can be done while you're hospitalized or as an outpatient procedure.Oct 12, 2018
Can I ask for ECT therapy?
Your doctor may offer you ECT if they think that it will improve your symptoms. You don't have to agree to treatment if you don't want it. Even if you are under the Mental Health Act. Doctors can give you ECT without your agreement in an emergency or if it is in your best interests.
Does insurance cover ECT?
An ECT session costs around $2,500 per session, including anesthesia. There may be extra costs if a hospital stay is needed. ECT costs are covered by most health insurance plans, Medicaid, and Medicare.Mar 19, 2012
What happens when ECT doesn't work?
If nothing else has helped, including ECT, and you are still severely depressed, you may be offered neurosurgery for mental disorder (NMD), deep brain stimulation (DBS) or vagus nerve stimulation (VNS).
Who is not a candidate for ECT?
Not everyone is a candidate for treatment even if they believe ECT could help them. For example, children under age eleven cannot undergo ECT for mental health disorders. People with heart conditions and people who cannot handle short-acting sedatives or muscle relaxers should not undergo ECT treatments.
Who is ECT Not recommended for?
ECT is not recommended for ongoing management of schizophrenia, or as a routine treatment for mild to moderate depression. 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 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.
Can ECT change your personality?
ECT does not change a person's personality, nor is it designed to treat those with just primary “personality disorders.” ECT can cause transient short-term memory — or new learning — impairment during a course of ECT, which fully reverses usually within one to four weeks after an acute course is stopped.
Does ECT worsen anxiety?
ECT may have a role in people who have comorbid depression and anxiety. The concern of some psychiatrists is that while ECT may help with depressive symptoms, it could worsen anxiety symptoms, including obsessional thoughts or panic attacks.Mar 22, 2020
When should ECT not be used?
Do not use electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) routinely for people with moderate depression but consider it if their depression has not responded to multiple drug treatments and psychological treatment.
What is ECT treatment?
People respond quicker to ECT than medication or therapy, so it’s a treatment that’s considered when a person is at high risk for suicide. What to Expect. The procedure is performed by a specially trained team that includes a psychiatrist, anesthesiologist and nurse.
How does ECT work?
ECT delivers electrical currents to the brain through electrodes placed on the head. The electricity causes a controlled seizure that makes changes in the brain. When the procedure was first developed, patients were awake, but that’s not the case today.
How long does memory last after ECT?
Some people do experience memory loss that lasts for weeks or months. If this happens, people often have trouble remembering things that occurred right before or right after the ECT procedure. Typically, memory problems occur more frequently with bilateral ECT than unilateral and improve over time. Resources.
How often do you need bilateral ECT?
People usually go two to three times a week for six to twelve sessions; the length of treatment varies for each person.
What is shock therapy?
Understanding Electroconvulsive Therapy. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), sometimes referred to as “shock therapy” by the general public, is a treatment with a great deal of stigma attached to it because it was isn’t well understood.
Where is the electrode placed on the head?
This refers to the placement of electrodes on the head. Unilateral – One electrode is placed on the right temple and the other is placed on the crown of the head. Patients may need a few more sessions than those receiving bilateral ECT to achieve the best results.
How long does a seizure last?
Once the person is asleep, a controlled seizure, which usually lasts for one minute , is induced by electrical currents delivered through the electrodes on the scalp.
What is ECT therapy?
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a procedure used to treat severe depression. It may be used in people who have symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, or suicidal thoughts. It's also used when other treatments such as psychotherapy and antidepressant medicines have not worked. And it can be used for other psychiatric and neurological conditions, such as schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease.
Can ECT cause seizures?
In rare cases, ECT may increase blood pressure, cause changes in heart rhythm, or produce seizures that last longer than expected. These physiologic changes typically occur right away after the ECT treatment and can be managed by the health professionals doing the procedure, if needed. Often, though, these changes resolve quickly without treatment.
How often do you get ECT?
In the United States, ECT treatments are generally given two to three times weekly for three to four weeks — for a total of six to 12 treatments. Some doctors use a newer technique called right unilateral ultrabrief pulse electroconvulsive therapy that's done daily on weekdays.
What is ECT used for?
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 mania, a state of intense euphoria, agitation or hyperactivity ...
What is ECT in medical terms?
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.
Why is electroconvulsive therapy used?
Why it's done. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can provide rapid, significant improvements in severe symptoms of several mental health conditions. 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, ...
How long after ECT can you drive?
However, some people may be advised not to return to work, make important decisions, or drive until one to two weeks after the last ECT in a series, or for at least 24 hours after a single treatment during maintenance therapy.
What is the test called when you have a seizure?
Internally, activity in your brain increases dramatically. A test called an electroencephalogram (EEG) records the electrical activity in your brain. Sudden, increased activity on the EEG signals the beginning of a seizure, followed by a leveling off that shows the seizure is over.
How long does confusion last?
Rarely, confusion may last several days or longer. Confusion is generally more noticeable in older adults. Memory loss. Some people have trouble remembering events that occurred right before treatment or in the weeks or months before treatment or, rarely, from previous years.
What should be included in a history of ECT?
2. a medical evaluation to define risk factors. This should include medical history, physical examination (including assessment of the teeth and mouth), and vital signs.
What should be included in a pre-ECT evaluation?
Local policy should determine the components of the routine pre-ECT evaluation. Additional tests, procedures, and consultations may be indicated, on an individual basis. Such a policy should include all the following: 1. psychiatric history and examination to determine the indication for ECT. The history should include an assessment ...
What is EEG used for?
There is now some evidence that abnormalities found on structural brain images or EEG may be useful in modifying treatment technique.
Is ECT considered a pregnancy test?
A pregnancy test should be considered on women of childbearing age, although ECT is not generally of increased risk in pregnant women ( see Section 4.3). Some facilities have protocols whereby laboratory tests are specified on the basis of age or certain medical risk factors such as cardiovascular or pulmonary history (Beyer et al. 1998).
What should providers identify for ECT?
Guidelines: Providers should identify principal diagnostic indications and other diagnostic indications for the use of ECT. When identifying persons for possible ECT, a current psychiatric evaluation and diagnosis should be part of the required procedures.
What are the guidelines for ECT?
Guidelines: Providers should assure review of medical conditions that may substantially increase risk during the delivery of ECT. A medical history and physical examination are essential before prescribing of ECT to determine risk factors and minimize risks.
What are the approaches to minimizing risks?
Approaches to minimizing risks may include modifications in patient management, changes in patient preparation or adjustments in treatment delivery technique. The decision to administer ECT to special populations of patients should include an appraisal of specific risks and benefits for the individual patient.
What should be included in a patient's monitoring?
and should also include patient self-reporting.
How many seizures should a provider treat per week?
Guidelines: Providers should address the following: Frequency of treatments, including the usual number of weekly treatments (generally, 3 per week), variations in frequency, and review of frequency, based on patient response. In general, the use of more than one adequate seizure per treatment session is discouraged.
Does ECT diminish with age?
The efficacy of treatment does not diminish with advancing age. ECT may have a lower risk of complications than some forms of pharmacotherapy in the elderly. Pregnant women and nursing mothers may receive ECT during all trimesters of pregnancy, puerperium and nursing.
Is ECT a primary or secondary treatment?
ECT may be considered as a primary treatment (or first-line treatment) for persons exhibiting syndromes such as: severe major depression, acute mania, mood disorders with psychotic features, and catatonia.
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. ECT often works when other treatments are unsuccessful and when the full course o…
Why It's Done
- 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 eat. 2. Treatment-resistant depression,a severe depression that doesn't improve with medications o…
Risks
- Although ECT is generally safe, risks and side effects may include: 1. Confusion.Immediately after treatment, you may experience confusion, which can last from a few minutes to several hours. You may not know where you are or why you're there. Rarely, confusion may last several days or longer. Confusion is generally more noticeable in older adults. 2. Memory loss.Some people hav…
How You Prepare
- Before having your first ECT treatment, you'll need a full evaluation, which usually includes: 1. Medical history 2. Complete physical exam 3. Psychiatric assessment 4. Basic blood tests 5. Electrocardiogram (ECG) to check your heart health 6. Discussion of the risks of anesthesia These exams help make sure that ECT is safe for you.
What You Can Expect
- The ECT procedure takes about five to 10 minutes, with added time for preparation and recovery. ECT can be done while you're hospitalized or as an outpatient procedure.
Results
- Many people begin to notice an improvement in their symptoms after about six treatments with electroconvulsive therapy. Full improvement may take longer, though ECT may not work for everyone. Response to antidepressant medications, in comparison, can take several weeks or more. No one knows for certain how ECT helps treat severe depression and other mental illness…