Electroconvulsive Therapy Overview

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

• Developed in Italy in 1937-38 by Ugo Cerletti
• Still used today, but considered controversial
• Induces seizures in the brain via electrical current
• Originally, used on animals to stun them prior to slaughter
• Early research involved fever therapy (pyretotherapy) and malaria therapy as treatments for mental illness
• Involves electrodes placed on the head, inducing brief electrical shocks
• Used to treat severe mental illness, notably depression, and in some cases, schizophrenia
• Often used as a last resort option

Electric Shock Treatments

• Early methods of treating mental illness involved inducing seizures in patients
• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was one such method
• Using electric shocks
• Conducted in Italy, leading to its spread in other parts of the world
• Other treatments used during the same period included insulin therapy and fever/malaria
• Each with varying levels of effectiveness and risks
• Treatments like electroconvulsive therapy were believed to restore "balance" to the brain
• Not scientifically accurate at the time

Dangers and Controversy of Early Treatments

• Patients were often subjected to these procedures without anesthesia
• Patients experienced serious side effects, including
• Memory loss
• Disorientation
• Physical trauma
• In some cases, death
• Treatments like electroconvulsive therapy were seen as controversial due to
• Lack of understanding of the causes of mental illness
• Severity and potentially harmful nature
• The practice of electroconvulsive therapy was seen as unethical in many cases due to
• Lack of consent/patient autonomy
• Absence or under-development of effective and safer treatment options
• Practices highlighted the ethical issues in psychiatric treatment during that period

Surgical Treatments for Mental Illness (e.g. Lobotomy)

• Some treatments involved surgical procedures on the brain, like prefrontal lobotomies
• These procedures aimed to alter brain function to control difficult behaviors associated with mental illness
• Resulted in significant side effects
• Personality changes
• Loss of emotional response
• Brain damage, with severe effects on the patient, including death
• These treatments were criticized as barbaric and unethical, and their use declined

Historical Context and Ethical Concerns of Treatments

• Treatments reflect the medical knowledge and attitudes of the time
• There is a strong societal link between
• The treatment of mental illness
• The social and political climate of the time, such as the rise of fascism, authoritariansm

Explore the history and application of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), developed in the late 1930s. This quiz covers its controversial use in treating severe mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia, as well as early experimental therapies. Test your knowledge on the evolution of electric shock treatments for mental health.