Essay On Electroconvulsive Therapy

Still today it is not known why ECT works but it seems to cause changes in brain chemistry that can quickly reverse symptoms of certain mental illnesses. It is also said that the shock literally shocks the person out of their illness as it is regarded as a punishment for the inappropriate behaviour. Another explanation is that the associated memory loss following shock allows the person to start afresh. They literally ‘forget’ they were suffering from a mental illness. Created in +1934 by Hungarian neuropsychiatrist Ladislas Meduna, [11]. However, ECT was not introduced in England until 1939 when Lothar Kalinowsky, observed the treatment administered in Italy and decided to use it in England due to its promising results. During this time high doses of electricity were administered without anaesthesia and muscle relaxations. This lead to memory loss, fractured bones and other serious side effects, which lead to, much of the stigma attached to ECT, because of these early treatments [12]. ECT is a treatment that is still used today, however much less brutally than in the 1930s.

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

Although more SZ patient improved with real ECT, which compared to placebo, when comparing to antipsychotics medication, the drugs are more beneficial. There was some limited evidence to suggest that ECT combined with medication resulted in greater improvement in mental state. The conclusion was that a combination of drugs and ECT could be useful if a rapid reduction of symptoms is required or when patients don’t respond well to drugs alone. (Tharyan and adams 2005)

ECT has become much safer than the dangerous past shown in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Electroconvulsive therapy has little resemblance to that depiction. ECT brings about fast results compared to some other medications and treatments. After the shock, there is immediate relief to the symptoms of many mental illnesses. The electric current only lasts for a few seconds and the seizure lasts for about a minute. Many medications take weeks to become effective and ECT is an ideal option for those people that need the relief right away. ECT has often worked when many other treatments have

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.

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

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a treatment for severe mental illness in which the brain is stimulated with a strong electrical current which induces a seizure. The seizure rearranges the brain's neurochemistry and results in an elevation of mood. This essay asks: Is ECT any safer and more effective in treating mood disorders than drug therapies? This treatment has a controversial history ever since it was first introduced in 1938. I intend to argue that electroconvulsive therapy is indeed a safe treatment of mental disorders when other treatments have failed. Due to the development of safer and less traumatic ways of administering ECT,

Neurostimulation. One method of neurostimulation is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) which passes a controlled electric current through the brain to induce a brief seizure. A treatment option that can be used alone or in tandem with antipsychotic medications, ECT is documented to have faster rates of improvement during suicidal and/or active phase symptoms (Galletly et al., 2016). An emerging practice in schizophrenia treatment is transcranial direct current simulation. This form of neurostimulation is promising in the treatment of auditory and verbal hallucinations and negative symptoms but requires further research (Galletly et al., 2016).

Medication is not the only way to treat depression. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a procedure in which 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. It often works when other treatments are unsuccessful (ECT). ECT is performed while a patient is under anesthesia and has been performed for over seventy

For many years, electroconvulsive therapy has been used to treat multiple mental illnesses. Most research that has been done on electroconvulsive therapy has looked at its effectiveness in depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Though there are plenty of treatments for those suffering from schizophrenia, it is still difficult to find the treatment that works best for each case. There are many cases where patients do not respond to antipsychotics; these cases are known as treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Most research on electroconvulsive therapy as treatment for schizophrenia has looked at how effective it is with or without the use of antipsychotics in patients. Since there are so many cases of treatment-resistant schizophrenia, it is important to find some kind of treatment that will work on reducing their symptoms. Though the topic of electroconvulsive therapy is controversial, if research shows it is effective in reducing symptoms of treatment-resistant schizophrenia then it should be considered as treatment.

On the other hand, majority of the side effects linked to ECT are usually minor and can be managed by careful screening of patients, close monitoring during ECT and regular administration of medications. ECT is beneficial as it quickly relieves symptoms of major depression such as depressed mood, lack of interest, appetite and weight, sleep disturbances, feelings of hopelessness, loss of self-esteem, and thoughts of suicide. Similarly, the remission of ECT is reported to range from 20-80 per cent. Extensive research has also suggested that ECT does not cause permanent brain damage as once thought and the risk of mortality is 1 in 10,000. Additionally, ECT is only administered after

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)

The intention of this article is to leave social factors behind and determine whether or not, when done properly, ECT has any long term negative cognitive or physical effects on the patient that would overwhelm the advantages of the treatment. There have been propositions that ECT has outstanding long term effects on the heart, memory function and also that it may contribute to or cause brain damage. Also, studies suggest high rates of mortality directly caused by ECT. In the following paragraphs each hypothesis will be examined based on evidence provided by various studies within the scientific field.

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.