ECT
Meaning of ECT: Speed is the usual reason it is chosen, since a response can arrive faster than medication typically achieves in severe illness.
Definition of ECT
ECT stands for electroconvulsive therapy, a psychiatric treatment in which a brief, controlled electrical current is passed through the brain by way of electrodes on the scalp, producing a short generalized seizure. It is carried out under general anesthesia with a muscle relaxant, so the seizure registers on monitoring equipment without a visible convulsion.
What happens during a session?
A session is short, and most of it is preparation and recovery. General anesthesia is given so the person is asleep throughout, and a muscle relaxant prevents the body convulsing, which removes the risk of injury that older forms of the treatment carried. Oxygen is delivered by mask, and heart rhythm, blood pressure, oxygen level and brain activity are monitored continuously. The current is applied for a few seconds through electrodes placed either on both sides of the head or on one side only, producing a seizure that lasts under a minute and shows on the brain activity recording rather than in the body. The person wakes within minutes. A course consists of a series of sessions spread across several weeks rather than one treatment, with the number guided by response.
What is it used for?
| Situation | Why it is considered |
|---|---|
| Severe depression that has not responded to other treatments | The most common reason for a course |
| Depression requiring a rapid response | Where a person is not eating or drinking, or is at high risk |
| Severe mania | Where medication has failed or cannot be used |
| Catatonia | Often responds markedly |
| Psychotic illness with severe mood symptoms | Considered in specific circumstances |
Pregnancy and advanced age do not rule it out, and it is sometimes chosen precisely because a medication would be unsuitable. Consent is obtained beforehand, and where a person lacks the capacity to give it, the legal framework governing that decision varies by jurisdiction.
What are the effects on memory?
Memory effects are the best known concern and the most closely studied. Confusion in the period straight after a session is common and clears within an hour or so. Difficulty forming new memories during the course is also common and generally improves in the weeks after treatment ends. Loss of memories from the weeks or months before and during a course does occur and can persist, and that risk is influenced by electrode placement and by the electrical settings used, which is why placement on one side is often preferred where it proves effective. Headache, muscle ache and nausea after a session are usual and short-lived. The abbreviation and the full name electroconvulsive therapy refer to exactly the same treatment.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
The psychiatric team recommended a course of ECT after the patient's depression did not respond to several trials of medication.
Good to know
ECT and electroshock therapy name the same procedure, which is a controlled, medically administered treatment given under anesthesia rather than the uncontrolled convulsive treatment sometimes depicted in older portrayals.
Word origin
Where “ECT” comes from
Formed from electro-, from Greek elektron, meaning amber, an early source of observed static electricity, and convulsive, from Latin convellere, meaning to shake violently.