BACKGROUND The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) monitors the administration of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in Northern Ireland (NI). As part of their inspection methodology RQIA wished to include feedback from ECT patients. The aim of this report is to summarise the opinions of ECT patients over a 1-year period and to compare their feedback about treatment with the standa...

(1) Background: Delirious mania is a neuropsychiatric condition characterized by the rapid onset of delirium, psychosis, and mania. Due to presence catatonic signs symptoms, some authors considered this syndrome be specific excited catatonia subtype. Usually, delirious responsive intravenous benzodiazepines (BZDs) or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). (2) Methods: In present study, we describe ca...

Prior to the 1930s, the prime mode of treatment for psychiatric outpatients was psychoanalysis. Little could be done for inpatients, other than provide sedation and social support. In the 1930s, four major somatotherapies, all interventionist in technique, were developed: insulin coma therapy, Metrazol convulsive therapy, lobotomy (psychosurgery), and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), the only o...

BACKGROUND Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a well-established treatment method for medically refractory depression. ECT has also been used in the treatment of pain for over 50 years. The mechanism of action of ECT is still unknown, although several observations have been made regarding the effect of ECT on pain processes. It has been reported that several patients with medically refractory d...

This paper highlights the recent research findings which suggest that the old teaching that a grandma! seizure is both necessary and sufficient for the efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is not correct. It is necessary; but not sufficient. The stimulus intensity should be adjusted so that it is far above the seizure threshold in order to get maximum efficacy of ECT.

Epidemiologic data indicate that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) does not precipitate epilepsy. However, when an ECT patient develops this condition, one is faced with the question as to whether ECT caused it and whether ECT can be safely continued. We describe four patients, two of whom developed definite epilepsy and two possible epilepsy during extended courses of ECT. In one of the patients...

Twenty-one patients with primary chronic pain received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for concurrent affective symptoms. Twenty of the 21 patients experienced improvement in the level of their pain. ECT can be an effective treatment modality for patients who have chronic pain complicated by affective symptoms.

Cardiovascular complications associated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for depression include dysrythmias, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, exaggerated hypertensive responses, and transient myocardial dysfunction.1-3 A variety of ECG changes have been demonstrated to occur in association with ECT and other central nervous system events. Although some studies have suggested that thes...

OBJECTIVE To scrutinize a series of pregnant women treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) at a tertiary treatment center and combine these data with a literature review to refine the treatment guidelines for ECT during pregnancy. METHODS A retrospective chart review of mentally ill pregnant patients treated with ECT since the establishment of a formal women's mental health program. RE...

Lorazepam is commonly prescribed to treat insomnia in depressed patients who receive electroconvulsive therapy (ECT); however, lorazepam may interfere with ECT seizure parameters, and may thereby compromise the efficacy of the treatment. This study therefore sought to assess whether zopicione, a hypnotic agent, interferes less with the ECT seizure. For ethical reasons, the study utilized an ani...