Peter J. Panzarino, Jr., MD, is the former Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He is an Associate Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Dr. Schoenfield served as associate professor of medicine and consultant in gastroenterology on the faculty of the Mayo Clinic for seven years. He became a professor of medicine in residence at UCLA from 1972 to 1999 (now emeritus). He was the director of gastroenterology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for 25 years, where he received the chief resident's teaching award, the president's award, and the pioneer of medicine award.
During the ECT procedure, an electric current is passed through the brain to
produce controlled convulsions (seizures).
Why is electroconvulsive therapy performed?
ECT is useful for certain patients with significant depression,
particularly for those who cannot take or are not responding to antidepressants,
have severe depression, or are at a high risk for suicide. ECT often is
effective in cases where antidepressant medications do not provide sufficient
relief of symptoms.
How does electroconvulsive therapy work?
This procedure probably works by a
massive neurochemical release in the brain due to the controlled seizure. Highly
effective, ECT relieves depression within 1 to 2 weeks after beginning
treatments. After ECT, some patients will continue to have maintenance ECT,
while others will return to antidepressant medications.
How is electroconvulsive therapy performed today and what are the side effects?
In recent years, the technique of ECT has been much improved. The
treatment is given in the hospital under anesthesia so that people receiving ECT do
not feel pain. Most patients undergo 6 to 10 treatments. An electrical current
is passed through the brain to cause a controlled seizure, which typically
lasts for 20 to 90 seconds. The patient is awake in 5 to 10 minutes. The most
common side effect is short-term memory loss, which resolves quickly. After the
initial course of treatment, ECT can be safely done as an outpatient procedure.
For more in-depth information, please read MedicineNet.com's article on Depression.
Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. The principal types of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disease (also called manic-depressive disease).
Schizophrenia is a disabling brain disorder that may cause hallucinations and delusions and affect a person's ability to communicate and pay attention. Symptoms of psychosis appear in men in their late teens and early 20s and in women in their mid-20s to early 30s. With treatment involving the use of antipsychotic medications and psychosocial treatment, schizophrenia patients can lead rewarding and meaningful lives.
Bipolar disorder (or manic depression) is a mental illness characterized by depression, mania, and severe mood swings. Treatment may incorporate mood stabilizer medications, antidepressants, and psychotherapy.
Dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder or split personality disorder) is a mental illness in which a person has at least two distinct personalities. Symptoms and signs include lapses in memory, feeling unreal, blackouts in time, hearing voices in their head that are not their own, not recognizing themselves in the mirror, and finding items in one's possession but not recalling how they were acquired. Treatment usually involves psychotherapy, medications, and sometimes hypnosis.
Dysthymia is a less severe form of chronic depression. Symptoms and signs include insomnia, suicidal thoughts, guilt, empty feeling, loss of energy, helplessness, sluggishness, and persistent aches and pains. Treatment may involve psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, and antidepressants.
Mental illness is any disease or condition affecting the brain that influence the way a person thinks, feels, behaves, and/or relates to others. Mental illness is caused by heredity, biology, psychological trauma and environmental stressors.
Experts are not sure what causes dysthymia. This form of chronic depression
is thought to be related to brain changes that involve serotonin, a chemical or
neurotransmitter that aids your brain in coping with emotions. Major life
stressors, chronic illness, medications, and relationship or work problems may
also increase the chances of dysthymia.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Dysthymia?
The symptoms of dysthymia are the same as those of major depression but not
as intense and include the following:
Persistent sad or empty feeling
Difficulty sleeping (sleeping too much or too little)
Insomnia (early morning awakening)
Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and worthlessness
Depression RSS
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