What is ECT?

ECT is a form of electrical stimulation of the brain that has been in use since the 1930s. It is also known as electroshock therapy. A psychiatrist, an anesthesiologist, and other supportive medical personnel supervise the treatment. The person being treated is anesthetized. In bilateral ECT, electrodes are placed on the scalp above each temple. In unilateral ECT, the electrodes are placed above the temple on one side of the brain and in the middle of the forehead. An electrical current is then passed through the brain, inducing a grand mal seizure similar to that experienced in epilepsy. Clinically effective seizures generally last from about 30 seconds to just over a minute. The body does not convulse, and the person being treated feels no pain. Some persons may experience headache, nausea, confusion and muscle stiffness upon awakening. A typical course of ECT treatment requires six to 12 treatments over a period of less than a month. To sustain the response to ECT, continuation treatment, often including medication, should be provided when the ECT course has been completed.
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