Can ECT cause permanent brain damage?
It is possible to cause definite permanent brain damage through ECT, and it is possible to administer ECT with minimal or no damage. It is not a matter of whether ECT can produce permanent damage but a matter of in what circumstances it occurs. representative of patients receiving ECT.
Can electroconvulsive therapy lead to dementia?
The present study shows that notwithstanding other possible adverse long-term cognitive effects, ECT is not associated with an increased risk of dementia. This finding supports the continued use of ECT in patients with severe episodes of mood disorders, including those who are elderly.
Does ECT destroy brain cells?
These conditions are not approached during ECT. Other findings indicate that the passage of electricity, thermal effects, and the transient disruption of the blood-brain barrier during ECS do not result in structural brain damage. Conclusions: There is no credible evidence that ECT causes structural brain damage.
What happens to the brain during ECT?
It may promote changes in how brain cells communicate with each other at synapses and it may stimulate the development of new brain cells. ECT may flood the brain with neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, which are known to be involved in conditions like depression and schizophrenia.
How long does it take for ECT to start working?
Many people begin to notice an improvement in their symptoms after about six treatments with electroconvulsive therapy. Full improvement may take longer, though ECT may not work for everyone. Response to antidepressant medications, in comparison, can take several weeks or more.Mehr 20, 1397 AP
Can ECT help with anxiety?
Electroconvulsive therapy is effective in the acute treatment of major depressive disorder patients associated with anxiety symptoms. Anxiety symptoms improved less than depression symptoms during acute electroconvulsive therapy.Tir 17, 1398 AP
What medications are used during ECT?
The most commonly used agents for induction are propofol, thiopental, methohexital, etomidate, ketamine, alfentanil and remifentanil. Methohexital is a barbiturate regarded as the “gold standard” anaesthesia for ECT due to its rapid onset and recovery with minimal effect on seizure.
Which condition is a contraindication to ect?
While there are no absolute contraindications to ECT, several relative contraindications exist. These include recent MI or stroke (generally within the last 30 days), increased intracranial pressure, active bleeding (especially from the central nervous system), retinal detachment, and unstable dentition.Khordad 3, 1398 AP
Is ECT done under general anesthesia?
General anesthesia is required to perform ECT and is induced with agents such as methohexital, propofol, thiopental, etomidate, ketamine, benzodiazepines, and sevoflurane.Bahman 30, 1392 AP
Why is ECT controversial?
Reasons for Controversy Three reasons are given for the aversion: 1) ECT is considered old-fashioned and politically incorrect; 2) it is forced on the patient; and 3) the memory disturbances are so severe and persistent that no rational human being would undergo this procedure, no matter how well-intended.Esfand 11, 1382 AP