I'm shocked: informed consent in ECT and the phenomenological-self

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Philosophy of Mind
• Bioethics

Background:

• Electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) is a treatment for severe depression.
• Retrograde amnesia is a significant side-effect of ECT.
• Current informed consent models inadequately address memory loss's impact on lived experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the relevance of phenomenological insights on selfhood to ECT informed consent.
• To demonstrate how memory loss from ECT affects a patient's sense of self.
• To advocate for improved informed consent procedures in ECT.

Main Methods:

• Philosophical analysis using Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology.
• Examination of the relationship between memory, self-experience, and embodiment.
• Critique of existing informed consent frameworks for ECT.

Main Results:

• Phenomenological concepts illuminate how amnesia disrupts pre-reflective and embodied self-experience.
• Memory loss profoundly impacts an individual's relationship with the world and their sense of continuity.
• Existing informed consent processes fail to capture the full existential impact of ECT-induced amnesia.

Conclusions:

• Informed consent for ECT requires acknowledging the disruption of selfhood caused by memory loss.
• A phenomenologically informed approach can enhance the ethical integrity of ECT treatment.
• Future consent models should integrate an understanding of embodied self-experience and memory's role.