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1.11 - Electroconvulsive Therapy and Other Non-Pharmacological Treatments

from Part I - Treatment Strategies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2021

Edited by
Michael Cummings  and
Stephen Stahl
Michael Cummings
Affiliation:
University of California, Los Angeles
Stephen Stahl
Affiliation:
University of California, San Diego
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Summary

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was initially utilized in the treatment of schizophrenia in the 1930s. ECT involves applying an electrical current to the brain to induce a therapeutic seizure [1]. Muscle relaxants were not available early on so adverse effects of ECT included fractures due to vigorous muscle contractions during the seizure. These undesirable effects, stigma, and the availability of alternative antipsychotic medications led to ECT falling out of favor [2].

Type
Chapter
Information
Management of Complex Treatment-resistant Psychotic Disorders , pp. 80 - 85
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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