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

104
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...
104
Epilepsy and Seizures: Overview01:24

Epilepsy and Seizures: Overview

240
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...
240

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Rethinking Seizure Termination: A Possible Paradigm Shift in Understanding a Primary Mechanism of ECT.

The journal of ECT·2026
Same author

Author Correction: Effects of electroconvulsive therapy on hippocampal longitudinal axis and its association with cognitive side effects.

Communications medicine·2026
Same author

Effects of electroconvulsive therapy on hippocampal longitudinal axis and its association with cognitive side effects.

Communications medicine·2025
Same author

Electroconvulsive therapy and the WHO: patients and professionals deserve expertise and facts, not ideology.

Der Nervenarzt·2025
Same author

Study protocol of a German multi-center, observer-blind, randomized, and actively controlled parallel-group trial comparing maintenance electroconvulsive therapy to treatment as usual for relapse prevention in clozapine resistant schizophrenia.

BMC psychiatry·2025
Same author

Venlafaxine During Electroconvulsive Therapy Is Associated With the Postictal Administration of Antihypertensive Medication.

The journal of ECT·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 12, 2025

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

12.1K

Age-Dependent Dose Increase During an Acute Electroconvulsive Therapy Series.

Jana Plemper1, Alexander Sartorius, Sebastian Karl

  • 1From the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.

The Journal of ECT
|February 2, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) dose increases with treatment number. Older patients experience a more rapid dose increase, requiring careful monitoring for sustained efficacy and safety during ECT series.

More Related Videos

Pupillary Response as Assessment of Effective Seizure Induction by Electroconvulsive Therapy
04:51

Pupillary Response as Assessment of Effective Seizure Induction by Electroconvulsive Therapy

Published on: April 11, 2019

9.5K
Transcranial Electrical Brain Stimulation in Alert Rodents
10:08

Transcranial Electrical Brain Stimulation in Alert Rodents

Published on: November 2, 2017

10.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 12, 2025

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

12.1K
Pupillary Response as Assessment of Effective Seizure Induction by Electroconvulsive Therapy
04:51

Pupillary Response as Assessment of Effective Seizure Induction by Electroconvulsive Therapy

Published on: April 11, 2019

9.5K
Transcranial Electrical Brain Stimulation in Alert Rodents
10:08

Transcranial Electrical Brain Stimulation in Alert Rodents

Published on: November 2, 2017

10.8K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) dose is critical for treatment efficacy and side effects.
  • Seizure threshold (ST) often guides ECT dosing, and ST is known to increase during an ECT series.
  • Clinical observations suggest age may influence the rate of ST increase.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between patient age and ECT dose adjustments during a course of treatment.
  • To determine if age influences the increase in seizure threshold (ST) over multiple ECT sessions.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of ECT dose in 472 patients over the first 20 treatments.
  • Generalized least squares regression used to assess dose adjustments in relation to age.
  • Response defined by the Clinical Global Impression Improvement Scale.

Main Results:

  • ECT dose significantly increased with treatment number and was correlated with age.
  • Older patients showed a significantly greater dose increase compared to younger patients.
  • Age-dependent dose increase did not correlate with treatment response, but greater early dose increase was linked to shorter treatment length in responders.

Conclusions:

  • Seizure threshold increases more rapidly in older patients during ECT.
  • Clinicians should monitor seizure quality and adjust ECT dose, particularly in geriatric patients, to maintain treatment efficacy.
  • Age-specific dose titration strategies may be necessary for optimal ECT outcomes.