Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Electroconvulsive Therapy01:30

Electroconvulsive 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,...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Suicidal Ideation Effectiveness and Safety Outcomes from the Ketamine for Adult Depression Study (KADS).

Archives of suicide research : official journal of the International Academy for Suicide Research·2026
Same author

A Global Delphi-Based Expert Consensus on Relapse Prevention Strategies Following Successful Electroconvulsive Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder.

The American journal of psychiatry·2026
Same author

Differential effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on depression symptom clusters.

Journal of affective disorders·2026
Same author

Time matters for metas: a systematic review and meta-analysis of ect vs ketamine for depression incorporating time.

Translational psychiatry·2026
Same author

A computational model of neural signalling under the superposition effect of aligned nodes of Ranvier.

Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference·2025
Same author

Modeling the interplay between myelin architecture and local electromagnetic fields.

Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference·2025
Same journal

Analysis of End-Tidal CO2 Variability During Plateau Waves Episodes: An Information Theoretic Approach<sup></sup>.

Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference·2025
Same journal

AI and Tomosynthesis for Breast Cancer Molecular Subtyping: A step toward precision medicine<sup></sup>.

Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference·2025
Same journal

Towards Sustainable Protein Recovery from Biological Waste: Assessing Polyethersulfone-based Microfiltration.

Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference·2025
Same journal

Analysis of the cardiovascular response to standardized polymicrobial peritonitis experimental model.

Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference·2025
Same journal

Automated Wrist Ultrasound Image Bone Enhancement and Segmentation Using Deep Learning.

Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference·2025
Same journal

A Deep Learning approach for Depressive Symptoms assessment in Parkinson's disease patients using facial videos.

Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference·2025
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 25, 2026

Targeting Neuronal Fiber Tracts for Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy Using Interactive, Patient-Specific Models
14:14

Targeting Neuronal Fiber Tracts for Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy Using Interactive, Patient-Specific Models

Published on: August 12, 2018

Electroconvulsive therapy simulations using an anatomically-realistic head model.

Siwei Bai1, Colleen Loo, Socrates Dokos

  • 1Faculty of Engineering, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Australia. s.bai@student.unsw.edu.au

Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference
|January 19, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) effectively treats severe depression. Electrode placement significantly impacts brain activation patterns, influencing treatment outcomes and cognitive effects in patients.

More Related Videos

Surgical Training for the Implantation of Neocortical Microelectrode Arrays Using a Formaldehyde-fixed Human Cadaver Model
08:11

Surgical Training for the Implantation of Neocortical Microelectrode Arrays Using a Formaldehyde-fixed Human Cadaver Model

Published on: November 19, 2017

Personalized 3D-printed Headgear for Multi-electrode Transcranial Electrical Stimulation
07:47

Personalized 3D-printed Headgear for Multi-electrode Transcranial Electrical Stimulation

Published on: September 9, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 25, 2026

Targeting Neuronal Fiber Tracts for Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy Using Interactive, Patient-Specific Models
14:14

Targeting Neuronal Fiber Tracts for Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy Using Interactive, Patient-Specific Models

Published on: August 12, 2018

Surgical Training for the Implantation of Neocortical Microelectrode Arrays Using a Formaldehyde-fixed Human Cadaver Model
08:11

Surgical Training for the Implantation of Neocortical Microelectrode Arrays Using a Formaldehyde-fixed Human Cadaver Model

Published on: November 19, 2017

Personalized 3D-printed Headgear for Multi-electrode Transcranial Electrical Stimulation
07:47

Personalized 3D-printed Headgear for Multi-electrode Transcranial Electrical Stimulation

Published on: September 9, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Medical Physics
  • Computational Biology

Background:

  • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a vital treatment for severe depressive disorders.
  • Treatment efficacy and cognitive side effects are linked to technical variations in ECT delivery.
  • Understanding the influence of electrode placement on brain stimulation is crucial for optimizing ECT outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of different electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) electrode configurations on brain electrical activity.
  • To compare the spatial distribution of electric fields and neural excitation across various ECT electrode placements using a computational model.

Main Methods:

  • A high-resolution finite element model of the human head was created using MRI data.
  • The model incorporated realistic tissue properties and an excitable ionic neural model of the brain.
  • Three common ECT electrode configurations were simulated to analyze electric field and excitation patterns.

Main Results:

  • Electrode configuration significantly influences the spatial extent and distribution of brain activation.
  • Different electrode placements result in varying patterns of neural excitation across distinct brain regions.
  • The model demonstrated a clear correlation between electrode placement and the simulated spread of electrical stimulation.

Conclusions:

  • Electrode placement is a critical factor determining the effectiveness and cognitive impact of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
  • Computational modeling provides valuable insights into how ECT parameters affect brain stimulation.
  • Optimizing electrode configuration based on individual neuroanatomy may improve ECT efficacy and minimize side effects.