Electroconvulsive therapy

Electroconvulsive therapy, also known as electroshock or ECT, is a very controversial type of psychiatric shock therapy involving the induction of an artificial seizure in a patient by passing electricity through the brain. Researchers remain uncertain as to exactly how ECT affects the mental state, though patients with a variety of conditions have shown short-term improvement after the procedure. Large segments of the public came to view ECT in a negative light after several unfavorable depictions in popular books and films.

Related Topics:
Psychiatric - Shock therapy - Seizure - Electricity - Brain - Mental state

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ECT was first introduced as a treatment for schizophrenia in the 1930s, and quickly became adopted as a common treatment method for mood disorders—and as a dreaded mechanism for disciplining unruly psychiatric inpatients. Currently, in most countries, electroshock is administered under anaesthesia and muscle relaxants and continues to be used for the treatment of several, typically severe, psychiatric conditions, occupying a narrow but important niche in modern psychiatry. Electroshock without anaesthesia is referred to as "direct ECT."

Related Topics:
Schizophrenia - 1930s - Mood disorder - Anaesthesia - Muscle relaxants

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