Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Electroconvulsive Therapy

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...

Gene Therapy

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is a technique where a gene is inserted into a person’s cells to prevent or treat a serious disease. The added gene may be a healthy version of the gene that is mutated in the patient, or it could be a different gene that inactivates or compensates for the patient’s disease-causing gene. For example, in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) due to a mutation in the gene for the enzyme adenosine deaminase, a functioning version of the gene can be...

Group Therapy

Group Therapy

Group therapy is a sociocultural approach to psychological treatment, where individuals with shared psychological challenges come together under the guidance of a mental health professional. This therapeutic modality offers unique opportunities for individuals to connect, share, and grow within the context of a supportive group. By fostering mutual understanding and collaboration, group therapy can address a range of psychological concerns effectively, often complementing or surpassing the...

Cancer Therapies

Cancer Therapies

Cancer therapies are various modes of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy that are administered to cancer patients.
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...

Behavior Therapy

Behavior Therapy

Behavior therapy incorporates diverse techniques rooted in classical conditioning principles to address maladaptive behaviors and anxiety disorders. These methods aim to reduce avoidance behaviors, foster adaptive coping mechanisms, and alter associations between stimuli and responses, making them effective in a wide range of therapeutic contexts.
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...

Drug Therapy

Drug Therapy

The advent of drug therapy has profoundly shaped modern mental health care, providing targeted treatments for a range of psychological disorders. Psychotherapeutic drugs, classified into antianxiety, antidepressant, and antipsychotic medications, address symptoms across anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia. While these medications have transformed patient outcomes, they require careful management due to their potential side effects and limitations.
Antianxiety Medications

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

At the Core of Depression: A Diagnostic Interview of the Core Features of Depression.

Psychopathology·2022

Same author

[Psychiatric symptoms in patients with Huntington's disease].

Ugeskrift for laeger·2018

Same author

Usability, Acceptability, and Adherence to an Electronic Self-Monitoring System in Patients With Major Depression Discharged From Inpatient Wards.

Journal of medical Internet research·2017

Same author

Persistent genital arousal disorder: confluent patient history of agitated depression, paroxetine cessation, and a tarlov cyst.

Case reports in psychiatry·2014

Same author

Electronic monitoring of psychomotor activity as a supplementary objective measure of depression severity.

Nordic journal of psychiatry·2014

Same author

ECT: its brain enabling effects: a review of electroconvulsive therapy-induced structural brain plasticity.

The journal of ECT·2014

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Pupillary Response as Assessment of Effective Seizure Induction by Electroconvulsive Therapy

Pupillary Response as Assessment of Effective Seizure Induction by Electroconvulsive Therapy

Published on: April 11, 2019

[Electroconvulsive therapy].

Hans Mørch Jensen¹, Tom Bolwig

¹hans.moerch.jensen@regionh.dk.

Ugeskrift for Laeger

|August 3, 2018

Summary

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a controversial yet effective psychiatric treatment. Evidence shows ECT is highly effective for affective disorders, delirium, and psychotic states.

Area of Science:

Psychiatry
Neurology

Background:

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a widely used psychiatric treatment.
It is the only non-pharmacological treatment in widespread clinical use.
ECT remains a controversial treatment modality.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the history of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in psychiatry.
To evaluate the efficacy of ECT across four diagnostic categories.
To examine the side effects associated with ECT.

Main Methods:

Literature review of historical and contemporary data on ECT.
Analysis of clinical evidence regarding ECT's effectiveness.
Assessment of reported side effects from ECT administration.

More Related Videos

The Optical Fractionator Technique to Estimate Cell Numbers in a Rat Model of Electroconvulsive Therapy

The Optical Fractionator Technique to Estimate Cell Numbers in a Rat Model of Electroconvulsive Therapy

Published on: July 9, 2017

Electroconvulsive Seizures in Rats and Fractionation of Their Hippocampi to Examine Seizure-induced Changes in Postsynaptic Density Proteins

Electroconvulsive Seizures in Rats and Fractionation of Their Hippocampi to Examine Seizure-induced Changes in Postsynaptic Density Proteins

Published on: August 15, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Pupillary Response as Assessment of Effective Seizure Induction by Electroconvulsive Therapy

Pupillary Response as Assessment of Effective Seizure Induction by Electroconvulsive Therapy

Published on: April 11, 2019

The Optical Fractionator Technique to Estimate Cell Numbers in a Rat Model of Electroconvulsive Therapy

The Optical Fractionator Technique to Estimate Cell Numbers in a Rat Model of Electroconvulsive Therapy

Published on: July 9, 2017

Electroconvulsive Seizures in Rats and Fractionation of Their Hippocampi to Examine Seizure-induced Changes in Postsynaptic Density Proteins

Electroconvulsive Seizures in Rats and Fractionation of Their Hippocampi to Examine Seizure-induced Changes in Postsynaptic Density Proteins

Published on: August 15, 2017

Main Results:

ECT has a compelling effect in treating affective disorders.
Evidence supports the efficacy of ECT in delirium.
ECT demonstrates effectiveness in managing psychotic states.

Conclusions:

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a significant treatment in psychiatry.
Its efficacy is well-established for specific psychiatric conditions.
Understanding ECT's history, efficacy, and side effects is crucial.