The rest of the procedure normally happens while you are under general anesthesia and unaware of what is happening. The anesthesiologist may then administer the anesthetic and a muscle relaxer to minimize the seizure and keep you from injuring yourself. You may also be given an oxygen mask and a mouthguard. Finally, you may be hooked up to monitors so your doctor can check your brain, heart, blood pressure, and oxygen to ensure you are doing well throughout the procedure. The nurse will usually put a blood pressure cuff around your ankle. For unilateral ECT, they'll typically only be on one side of your head. For example, if you have bilateral ECT, the leads will generally be on both sides of your head. Then, they may place electrode pads at specific places on your head. When you arrive for your treatment, which is usually done in the morning, a nurse will normally set up an IV for the anesthesia. For example, you might be asked not to smoke, drink caffeine, or eat after a certain time. Your doctor or the clinic staff may give you instructions on what you need to do the night before the treatment. Preparing For The Treatmentīefore making the final decision to give you ECT, your doctor will normally take your medical history, give you a physical exam, do a psychiatric assessment, take basic blood tests, and do an ECG to check your heart. Because ECT is usually done with the patient's consent and is normally scheduled in advance, treatment tends to run smoothly. If you walked into a clinic where ECT was being done, you might be surprised to see how calm the environment is. The goal is generally to find out who may be the best candidates for ECT. These changes are currently being studied to better understand why ECT can help some people and not others. The amygdala, the structure in the brain involved with experiencing emotions, can also change structurally following ECT. The result is usually that they respond more positively to cues in their environment. People with a smaller hippocampus volume tend to benefit the most from ECT because the treatment can increase the size of this structure. The hippocampus is generally the center of emotion, memory, and the autonomic nervous system. As a result, the size of certain brain structures can be changed as well. How Does ECT Work?Īs small electrical currents pass through the brain and trigger a brief seizure, they can quickly change the brain's chemistry. *If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Severe depression, if it's accompanied by psychosis, suicidal actions*, or a refusal to eatĬatatonia, if not caused by a medical condition that can be treated in other waysįor people with dementia who become extremely agitated and aggressiveįor women who can't take needed psychiatric medications because they're pregnant or nursingįor older adults who experience extreme difficulty with the side effects of needed psychiatric medicationsįor people who would rather go through ECT treatment than take medicationsįor people who have benefitted from ECT in the past Some of the reasons a doctor might suggest or prescribe ECT are the following: Either the condition may be very severe and resistant to other treatments, or there may be an urgent need to relieve the condition immediately. When Do Doctors Prescribe ECT?ĭoctors typically use ECT only in extreme cases now. Scientists have discovered better ways to place the leads to potentially produce the best results with fewer risks and side effects. One other area that has changed recently may be the type and use of equipment. In general, ECT is no longer administered without general anesthesia. The treatment has changed dramatically where once large currents were used, the new technique typically uses only small currents, and the seizure is usually very brief. Is Shock Therapy Still Used To Treat Mental Illness?ĭoctors still use shock therapy to treat mental conditions in some cases, but they usually refer to this type of treatment as electroconvulsive therapy or ECT. This treatment normally involves passing electrical currents through the brain to trigger a seizure. Shock therapy is a type of treatment often used for chronic mental conditions.
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