Literature Review On 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

According to the Mental Health America website (2012), ECT is making a comeback. They assert with “the increase in the elderly population and Medicare, and the push by insurance companies to provide fast, “medical” treatment rather than talk therapy” (para. 6) has created yet another potentially dangerous field to navigate. Is it appropriate to treat these elderly patients with ECT when they have pre-existing medical conditions, specifically cardiac conditions where an electric shock could be fatal? Who is the advocate for the elderly widow without family to speak for her should she become so incapacitated by mental illness this becomes a viable option? This patient is vulnerable

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) 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 (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.

According to “Science Museum, Brought to Life: Exploring the History of Medicine”, the ECT began in the 1930s when psychiatrists were experimenting with metrazol to induce epileptic-like convulsions in schizophrenic patients. An Italian neurologist and epilepsy specialist Ugo Cerletti wanted to produce a similar convulsion but in a more controlled manner (n.d.). ECT is indicated when medications no longer work or there is a high risk of suicide when the patient is depressed. It is also indicated when the patient is schizophrenic (“Science Museum, Brought…, n.d.).

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.

A total of 40 patients from four acute units of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital took part in the trial. All subjects were assessed to determine eligibility and then randomly allocated into two groups in which the experimental group would be given real ECT and the control group would undergo simulated ECT. The experimental group (group R) received ECT bilaterally twice a week from a machine that delivered sine-wave currents. The control group (group S) received simulated ECT where

Epilepsy is defined as, a neurological disorder where reoccurring abnormal electrical activity occurs in the brain with several biological side effects; such as, loss of consciousness and convulsions. This chronic disease affects nearly 2 million Americans with more patients being diagnosed yearly. The procedure for diagnoses is done using blood tests, neurological exams, and scans using MRI and CT machines. The cause of these epileptic episodes are unknown, and require constant monitoring by the patient and their healthcare staff. Factors to be considered and monitored include: location of the event, how the seizure spreads, how much of the brain is affected, and how long the seizure lasts. The costs to care for patients with this condition has mounted to $15.5 billion a year, with indirect costs of the disease being seven times pricier than other chronic diseases with less suffering patients. The most common procedure involves prescribing anti-epileptic drugs to reduce the occurrence of seizures. This method has worked for many diagnosed with this disease; however, there is a percentage of epileptic sufferers that fall under the category known as Pharmacologically Refractory Epilepsy. This branch of epilepsy is also known as drug resistant epilepsy and affects approximately 30% of patients diagnosed with this disease. Based on this information it can be concluded that epilepsy (particularly pharmacologically refractory epilepsy) isn’t treated properly due to inaccuracy

Another technique included electro convulsive therapy - otherwise known as ECT - that, before the 1950s, was given to patients without anaesthetic or muscle relaxants and was usually administered to patients in a series of treatments, ranging from six to twelve treatments over a two-week period. Most of these patients have had no success on Monamine oxidase inhibitors which was the first anti-depressant which was supposed to elevate the levels of “norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine by inhibiting an enzyme

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