Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

Electroshock therapy is the process of electroshocking the brain of a human, this a process that takes multiple sessions (CBS News). ECT caused critical seizures. Doctors used this method to cure of reduce schizophrenia. Electroshock therapy was performed daily, it was known referred to as “The shock of the day” (D’Antonio). Doctors saw ECT as a easy and fast way to cure a patient.

Before it was administered, each Patient was thought about on a case by case basis; this lead to different placements of electrodes, voltage and duration of this therapeutic technique depending on that individual. However, normally, electrodes are placed on the same side of the patient's head. The electrodes then deliver an electrical stimulus at high voltages and the patient has a seizure where their whole body convulses. The patient's EEG, ECG, and blood oxygen levels are monitored during treatment. ECT is usually administered three times a week, on alternate days, over a course of two to four

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

In essence, what happens is that the individual is dazed, confused, and disoriented, and therefore cannot remember or appreciate current problems. The shocks are then continued for a few weeks (sometimes several times a day) to make the procedure 'take,' that is, to damage the brain sufficiently so that the individual will not remember, at least for several months, the problems that led to his being shocked in the first place. The greater the brain damage, the more likely that certain memories and abilities will never return. Thus memory loss and confusion secondary to brain injury are not side effects of electroshock; they are the means by which families (perhaps unwittingly) and psychiatrists sometimes choose to deal with troubled and troublesome persons”

Another biological therapy is electroconvulsive therapy, which patients are injected so that they are unconscious before the electric shock is administered. (They are also given a nerve blocking agent to paralyse muscles to prevent fractures during the seizure.) A small amount of electric current, lasting about half a second is passed through the brain. This produces a seizure, lasting up to one minute, which affects the whole brain. A patient usually requires between 3 and 15 treatments.

I learned that often times, ECT is used along with a general anesthesia and a brief electrical current initiated to trigger a brief seizure. Likewise, I realized that ECT is the preferred treatment when other options are not as well tolerated. After becoming more familiar with the procedure, it seems as though ECT may be a more desirable option than pharmacological interventions as drug interventions may require more time to become effective. Sometimes when a patient's signs and symptoms are overwhelming, interfering with their daily life, time is of the essence and ECT provides a quicker relief for individuals with immediate risk. After several years and improvement technology, ECT has become much safer in the past, presenting minimal possible risks - memory loss, confusion, headache or muscle ache - to the

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.

Prior to the actual treatment, the patient is given general anesthesia and a muscle relaxant. Electrodes are then attached to the patient's scalp and an electric current is applied which causes a brief convulsion. Minutes later, the patient awakens confused and without memory of events surrounding the treatment. This treatment is usually repeated three times a week for two to four weeks. The number of treatments varies from six to twelve. It is often recommended that the patient maintain a limited intake of medication, after the ECT treatments, to reduce the chance of relapse.

The second argument for the use of ECT is that successful treatments induce remission in episodes of illness (Gabbard, 2001). The evidence supporting this conclusion is compelling and includes a sizable number of well-controlled “sham-ECT” studies. In these studies, patients were randomized to receive real ECT or sham-ECT (which involves anaesthesia but no electrical stimulation), thus providing for precise double-blind tests of efficacy (Gabbard, 2001). One misconception is that it provides a “cure”. This is not the case - it does not produce a “cure” any

MDD affects millions of people and has a profound impact on the individuals and their families. Despite its adverse effects, ECT is a safe and effective treatment for MDD. With continual improvement in ECT and increased support from nurses, its adverse effects can be minimised while improving its efficacy.

Electroconvulsive therapy, also referred to as ECT, has been used to treat mental illness since the 1930s, making it the oldest physical treatment available. The way ECT is used and administered today is far different than it was 70 years ago. ECT carries a negative stereotype due to movies and media depictions, such as in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which shows the treatment to be a physically and emotionally brutal procedure given to unwilling patients. Today, ECT has shown to be the most acutely effective treatment available for mood disorders and is more successful than antidepressant drugs (Kavanagh & McLoughlin, 2009). Currently, an estimated 100,000 people in the U.S. and about 2 million people worldwide receive ECT treatments each

Electroshock Therapy, also known as Electroconvulsive Therapy, made its way into mental facilities in the 1940’s and 50’s to treat the mentally disable, though this type of therapy caused many unwanted side effects it was still used. Most believe that the treatment could cure many mental illnesses such as Schizophrenia, Acute mania and depression, they even believed that it could cure homosexuality. How this treatment works is that two rods place on the temples of a patient a current of electricity is pushed through the brain disturbing the brain waves. People argued its’ use because of the abuse that was reported by the media. The question on many minds are why was it used and how could this method be used in a respected medical

Three cycles of electroconvulsive therapy were conducted out weekly. Mr S showed a significant improvement after six cycles of ECT. He no longer experienced auditory hallucination and delusion of grandiosity. However, he still had many ideas about his future, and wanted to look for volunteer posts. The doctor had interviewed him and decided to extend the ECT to a total nine cycles of electroconvulsive therapy. Meanwhile, psycho-education and family focused therapy were done in sessions.

seizure through controlled electric shock, under anesthesia. The process itself is under scrutiny because it is not entirely understood, which is main a reason why it is only considered in the direst of cases. ECT tends to have severe physical health risks and with the introduction of newer and less harmful antidepressant drugs, it is being used far less often (Comer, 2005). This new class of drugs includes three main types; monoamine oxidase (MAOI) inhibitors, tricyclics and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

The ECT was being administered in theatre in the general hospital. In advance of the treatment the clients vital signs were checked and it was confirmed that consent was given. The client was then transferred to theatre. Present in the room was the anaesthesiology team, ECT nurse, surgical nurse, psychiatric consultant, registrar, psychiatric nurse and student nurse. Initially the client was hooked up to a machine to record her vital signs, anaesthetic and muscle relaxants were administered and the client was ventilated with 100% oxygen. Under anaesthetic the client has reduced capacity to breathe hence oxygen is administered, pure oxygen also reduces the deleterious effects on memory. Anaesthesia and muscle relaxants reduce the seizure threshold and the risk of injuries from motor activity during the seizure (Fink 2009). The client remained in the supine position, conductive jelly was applied bilaterally to the temples and the psychiatrist administered the electrical stimulus. The choice between unilateral and bilateral electrode placement remains