Electroconvulsive Therapy

What remains unknown is why electroconvulsive therapy is effective. A plethora of studies show the neurochemical correlates of this treatment and its relation to the anti-depressant effect, yet none are conclusive. Richard Abrams has studied ECT for years and discusses a wide variety of reasons for its effectiveness in his revised edition of Electroconvulsive Therapy. For a person who has studied this treatment for 50 years, he concludes

When medication fails to relax the symptoms of mental illness, there are other options that are tried. Brain stimulation techniques such as electroconvulsive therapy, for example, can be used to treat illnesses that have not responded to standard treatments. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been used to treat psychiatric patients since the late 1938. The main reason for ECT treatments in North America and Europe were to treat mood disorders (bipolar depression, and unipolar depression) and schizophrenia (Pitidhammabhorn et al. 5). Milos Forman’s unrealistic portrayal of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest negatively shaped the general public’s perceptions of this medical procedure. As a result, many unenlightened

(Nordenberg, 4-6). People with milder forms of depression may respond favorably to psychotherapy; however, it is common for people with moderate to sever depression to benefit from both the use of anti-depressants and psychotherapy. Lastly, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is used by people who suffer from severe depression or by people whose depression is life threatening or for those who cannot take anti-depressant medications. ECT is most effective where anti-depressants can't provide sufficient relief of symptoms. In order for ECT to be effective, several sessions are necessary, usually three sessions per week. (5). ("Depression: An Overview" 5-7).

Prior to this assignment, my feelings from electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) solely came from images in the media. Two instances that stand out to me is the portrayal of ECT in an episode of "American Horror Story: Asylum" and from the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Although I realize media is not an accurate representation of reality, these scenes stood out to me due to the intense, emotional display of ECT's effects through the patient's eyes. Despite the unrealistic depiction of ECT, one accurate aspect of the scenes is that ECT was commonly used during the 1960s-1970s to improve mental disturbances and a variety of psychological disorders. I think the reason these scenes stood out to me was that ECT was implemented without the patient's informed consent or agreement upon the treatment regimen, utilized as a way to subdue patients into compliance. Contrary to modern use of ECT, this type of therapy was used as a form of punishment, implemented

Electroconvulsive therapy, also known as ECT, is a medical procedure that is used in the treatment of mental illness. In ECT, a small electrical impulse is sent through the brain, resulting in an ephemeral seizure. Though the process is generally effective, modern science is unaware of the explanation behind ECT's success. Its history is filled with a large amount of stigma and the use of ECT as a therapy is still debated today. ECT has evolved to a point where its beneficial effects can be maximized and its adverse effects can be minimized through proper administration.

After researching electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), I have decided that if a close family member or even myself were severely depressed I would not support the use of ECT. Electroconvulsive therapy consists of an electrical shock, which is used to produce a seizure. Many people experience seizures due to some other type of illness or illnesses, and in these cases there is medicine taken in order to prevent these occurrences. In deciding my opinion on the topic of ECT I asked myself would I want to put myself or a loved one through what others are trying to avoid; a seizure. Although ECT has proven to be effective in some cases of depression, it has many risk factors involved and it does not ensure a lifetime with out the reoccurrence of

Overall, TMS is a successful treatment option for the majorly depressed who have not responded to prior treatment. It works by simulating the brain through electromagnetic pulses, thus resetting the system. TMS alters neuronal activity in regions of the brain specializing in mood regulation. As seen in Rob’s story, this resetting of the system relieves depressive symptoms, and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a safe, FDA approved alternative to

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was first developed in 1938. It has a history of abuse, exploited as a means of punishing or controlling people in mental hospitals, consequently ECT had poor reputation with negative depictions, but since then it has drastically improved with confirmed effectiveness. Despite the improvement in techniques, the use of ECT continues to decline since the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE,2003) states that it should only be administered to severely depressed patients for whom psychotherapy and medication have proved ineffective or when the condition is considered potentially life threatening. For example, when there is a risk of suicide or risk to others because ECT has much quicker results than

Electroconvulsive therapy- 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 illnesses ("Lithium, benzodiazepines," 1992)

Growing up in the late 50's and early 60's the term for mental illness was they are "nuts" or "crazy." Watching black and white TV depicted a crazy person in a straight jacket, in a locked white padded room, screaming. As a child seeing this would impart a stigma of fear and threat to self. So, how does a senior feel about mental illness if raised in this era without being educated and living in a rural area? Luckily my mother explained at a young age that these individuals are ok and just have a medical condition and to treat them like anyone else.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a technique in which electric streams are passed through the brain, triggering a short-term seizure. Electroconvulsive therapy causes changes in brain chemistry that can reverse symptoms of depression and other mental illnesses. It is used as a last resort when conventional methods are unsuccessful, or in the elderly who can’t tolerate medication side effects, or for people who chose electroconvulsive therapy over pharmaceuticals.

In contemporary psychiatry worldwide, Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) continues to be useful. However, researchers, the general public and practitioners have not yet understood this therapy. Controversies continue to surround the application of this therapy, especially the long-term consequences of its legality and use in the management of some severe major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and mental illness. Particularly, a few mental health service users report adverse effects that are associated with ECT for instance, severe memory loss. Some researchers claim that the Electroconvulsive therapy is the utmost controversial treatment in the field of psychiatry. Arguably, ECT should be used in physiatrist treatment.

Electroconvulsive therapy, ECT, is one of the alternatives to lithium, though not the most favorable largely due to its negative affiliations as well as its side effects. Developed in 1938, this type of therapy involves an electrical impulse sent through the brain (Mood Disorders Association of BC). These impulses result in short seizures (Hauser). A patient usually resorts to this type of treatment if they have not responded well to medication or other treatments or if their symptoms are severe. There are many questionable factors in this type of therapy. A patient resorting to this type of treatment runs many risks not only in the effects it may have on their body but the equipment used for the procedure. One of the dangers could involve the malfunction of the ECT machine used for the procedure. Due to the fact that this is not a drug but an actual physical procedure, a patient must be given anesthesia. As with major surgeries, the patient runs the risk of being given an ineffective amount of anesthesia. Just as with other medication for mental illnesses, ECT has neurological side effects as well. Among these side effects are those in the cognitive areas of the brain, including memory. After the therapy has been executed, the patient will not remember the events surrounding the procedure (Mental Health America). The most common

To be completely honest, I’ve been putting this essay off because I just didn’t know what to write about. Obviously, I have interests and passions, but which ones mean the most to me? Which ones stand out in my mind? Unusually, my answer came while writing a research paper on electroconvulsive therapy. Sounds odd right? When I was asked to write a simple research paper on electroconvulsive therapy for my English class I thought it would be a piece of cake. The paper was to include information about the history, uses, and how it worked. Yet, instead of following these guidelines I found myself writing more about the mentally ill individuals it was being used on. I was writing more about their struggles and the challenges of being mentally

Also, the patient stopped talking entirely by the third year of her disorder. The researchers used a modified Electroconvulsive Therapy  treatment on the patient three times a week with the frequency at 70Hz  every time (Batu et. al. 2013).  After 3 ECT sessions, the researcher started to see little improvement in her health  but she still impaired in speech. However, after 9 sessions of the treatment she started to formulate audible words. Once the case study was concluded, after 12 sessions she started speaking normally again and responded very well after just 14 sessions of Electroconvulsive Therapy. Furthermore, a very important finding in  her case is that when she was discharged  her Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale score for her disorder was 44 which is significantly lower than her original score of 94 when the treatment started. Basu’s case study supports the notion that ECT can very much reduce the symptoms on a treatment resistant disorder.