Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026
Electroconvulsive Seizures in Rats and Fractionation of Their Hippocampi to Examine Seizure-induced Changes in Postsynaptic Density Proteins
Published on: August 15, 2017
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in a six-year-old girl suffering from major depressive disorder with catatonic
1Dept. of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Objective:
ECT is generally both effective and safe in the treatment of adolescents, but treatment using ECT in children of pre-pubertal age has been less reported and is a controversial treatment.
Clinical Picture:
This article reports a 6-year-old girl who has been diagnosed as having major depressive disorder with catatonic features and 50% loss of weight due to food refusal.
Treatment:
The seven-session ECT treatment with bilateral and brief pulse stimulation was successfully done. Propofol 1% was used for anesthesia.
Outcome:
After the third session, the patient's clinical improvement began by eating. As the ECT sessions went on the signs of depression and catatonic features completely resolved. There were no noticeable clinical side effects.
Conclusion:
ECT should be considered in severe cases of child psychiatric disorders where it is life threatening, as an effective and safe method.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Electroconvulsive Therapy
01:25ECG Interpretation of Arrhythmias II: Atrial, Junctional and Ventricular Arrhythmias
01:24Epilepsy and Seizures: Overview
Various factors can trigger epilepsy, including genetic factors, brain damage, metabolic causes, and unknown etiology. Diagnosis of epilepsy involves electroencephalography (EEG), which...