Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026
09:07
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: predictors and trends in utilization from 1976 to 2000
Trine Munk-Olsen1, Thomas Munk Laursen, Poul Videbech
1National Centre for Register-based Research, University of Aarhus, Taasingegade 1, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. tmo@ncrr.dk
The Journal of ECT
|June 28, 2006
Summary
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) predictors include unipolar affective disorders and long admissions. While utilization has stabilized, fewer patients with bipolar disorders received ECT over time.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Neurology
- Medical treatment
Background:
- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) use may have evolved due to psychopharmacology advancements and shifts in psychiatric care organization.
- Understanding changes in ECT utilization is crucial for contemporary psychiatric practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify predictors for first-time electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) administration.
- Describe temporal trends in ECT utilization over a 25-year period.
Main Methods:
- A register-based case-control study design.
- Included 2010 cases treated with ECT between 1976 and 2000.
- Compared cases with 148,284 controls.
Main Results:
- Predictors for first ECT included unipolar affective disorders, prolonged hospital admissions, and no prior admissions.
- A significant decrease in ECT use for bipolar and schizoaffective disorders was observed from 1976 to 2000.
- ECT remained stable, accounting for 5.5% of admissions, despite reduced inpatient bed availability.
Conclusions:
- Unipolar affective disorders, long admissions, and lack of prior admissions are key predictors for initiating ECT.
- ECT utilization demonstrated remarkable stability over the study period, despite changes in psychiatric care.
- Temporal trends indicate a shift, with fewer bipolar and schizoaffective disorder patients receiving ECT.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Electroconvulsive Therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), or shock therapy, remains a critical biomedical intervention for severe, treatment-resistant depression. While its origins can be traced back to Hippocrates' observations that malaria-induced convulsions alleviated mental illness, modern ECT has evolved significantly from its earlier, more primitive applications. First introduced in 1938 by Ugo Cerletti and his colleagues, ECT involves inducing controlled seizures using electrical currents. In its early years,...
01:30Psychosurgery
Psychosurgery, the surgical alteration or permanent removal of brain tissue to alleviate severe psychological conditions, stands as one of the most radical and controversial treatments in the history of mental health care. Its development and application have evolved significantly, marked by dramatic shifts in scientific understanding and ethical perspectives.
Historical Development of Psychosurgery
In the 1930s, Portuguese neurologist Antonio Egas Moniz introduced a surgical procedure designed...
Historical Development of Psychosurgery
In the 1930s, Portuguese neurologist Antonio Egas Moniz introduced a surgical procedure designed...
01:24Epilepsy and Seizures: Overview
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease marked by recurrent, unpredictable seizures. These seizures are caused by abnormal electrical discharges in the brain, leading to behavior, sensation, or consciousness alterations. They can also cause transient impairment of awareness, interfering with daily activities.
Various factors can trigger epilepsy, including genetic factors, brain damage, metabolic causes, and unknown etiology. Diagnosis of epilepsy involves electroencephalography (EEG), which...
Various factors can trigger epilepsy, including genetic factors, brain damage, metabolic causes, and unknown etiology. Diagnosis of epilepsy involves electroencephalography (EEG), which...