Electroconvulsive therapy can work in depression

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

For people with severe depression, electroconvulsive therapy still has an important role to play, accoding to a Harvard doctors.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) involves passing an electric current through the brain to induce a seizure and it has long been used as a treatment for depression. But it has a bad reputation, for not only is it linked to memory loss, it is also seen as outdated when there are so many drug treatments for depression.

ECT affects many different pathways in the brain. According to researchers at Harvard Medical School this means that it can be effective for some people with severe depression and acute psychosis - and should not, therefore, be dismissed. Memory loss is often temporary, lasting only a few weeks, although it may affect some patients for much longer than this. The way the treatment is done makes a difference to this side effect. Placing the electrodes on one side of the head and using intermittent pulses, rather than continuous stimulation, may reduce the risk of memory loss. So, too, may lowering the dose of electricity used in ECT. Therefore, ECT should not be dismissed as a treatment option. It may turn out to be a lifesaver for those suffering from severe mental illness.

Source
Harvard Mental Health Letter February 2007

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