Prompt Cast
The History and Effectiveness of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
TLDR Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a safe and effective treatment for mental illness, with a success rate of 75 to 80% in treating severe depression. It works by pulsing the brain with electricity, changing how blood flows and cells metabolize, and may release certain chemicals that help reduce depression.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was once seen as a barbaric treatment, but it is actually an effective therapy still in use today.
04:01
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective therapy for mental illness that has been approved by various medical organizations, including the National Institute of Mental Health, and has helped individuals such as Kitty Dukakis and Dick Cavett.
07:49
In the 1930s, insulin and metrizol were used to induce seizures as a treatment for mental illness, but metrizol was too powerful and caused spinal fractures in 42% of patients, while in 1938, Italian scientists discovered the use of electricity to treat mental illness, which later became a regular treatment in the US for various conditions.
11:41
Electroconvulsive therapy has become much safer and more controlled over the years, with the use of anesthesia, muscle relaxers, and careful pre-treatment screenings to ensure patient safety.
14:57
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a medical procedure that pulses the brain with electricity for a short duration, typically two to three times a week for three to four weeks, and is effective in treating severe depression in 75 to 80% of patients, making it a viable alternative when antidepressants have not worked.
18:32
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) works by changing how blood flows or how cells metabolize in the brain, and it may release certain chemicals that help reduce depression, although the specific mechanisms are still unknown.
22:23
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may become more widespread and could potentially make a comeback in the future.
26:10
This section of the podcast is not relevant to the topic of electroconvulsive therapy.
Categories:
Society & Culture
