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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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 1, 2025

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

Individual on Death Row Receiving Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) for Catatonia: A Case Report.

Brian J Basden¹, Sandarsh Surya², Peter B Rosenquist²

¹From the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.

The Journal of ECT

|January 17, 2025

Summary

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) effectively treated catatonia in a justice-involved individual. This case highlights safe ECT administration in carceral settings, improving quality of life.

Keywords:

catatonia death row electroconvulsive therapy forensics justice-involved

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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

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Psychiatry
Medical Ethics

Background:

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is underutilized and presents challenges for justice-involved populations.
Ethical considerations surround ECT for individuals on death row.
A case of persistent altered mental status in a long-term inmate is presented.

Purpose of the Study:

To describe a case of successful ECT administration for catatonia in a justice-involved individual.
To address the ethical considerations and logistical challenges of providing ECT in a carceral setting.
To demonstrate a method for balancing patient safety and institutional policies during ECT.

Main Methods:

A patient with catatonic stupor, unresponsive to lorazepam, was treated with ECT.
A modified procedure involving temporary removal and reapplication of restraints during ECT was implemented.
Seven ECT treatments were administered over five days.

Main Results:

The patient's catatonic symptoms significantly remitted within five days of ECT.
The modified restraint procedure was successfully implemented without compromising safety or carceral policies.
ECT improved the patient's quality of life without restoring competency for execution.

Conclusions:

ECT can be a safe and effective treatment for catatonia in justice-involved individuals.
Modified restraint protocols can facilitate ECT administration in carceral environments.
Psychiatrists should prioritize patient suffering reduction and quality of life, independent of legal system goals.