What machine is used for shock therapy?

ECT machines send electric currents into the brain in timed pulses. This brings on a seizure to try to ‘shock’ a patient out of a severe mental disorder. This type of treatment was first used in the UK in 1940.

Do they still practice electric shock therapy?

But electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is still being used — more in Europe than the United States — and it may be the most effective short-term treatment for some patients with depressive symptoms, a newly published review in the journal The Lancet suggests.

What does electric shock therapy do?

Overview. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a procedure, done under general anesthesia, in which small electric currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. ECT seems to cause changes in brain chemistry that can quickly reverse symptoms of certain mental health conditions.

What voltage is shock therapy?

Typically, 70 to 120 volts are applied externally to the patient’s head, resulting in approximately 800 milliamperes of direct current passing between the electrodes, for a duration of 100 milliseconds to 6 seconds, either from temple to temple (bilateral ECT) or from front to back of one side of the head (unilateral …

How much does an ECT machine cost?

OR AN ECT MACHINE? ECT machine manufacturers make big profits, charging shock doctors up to nearly $20,000 for their “system”—about 20 times the cost of its parts.

What are the long term side effects of electric shock therapy?

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been controversially associated with long-lasting memory problems. Verbal learning and memory deficits are commonly reported in studies of people with bipolar disorder (BD).

Who qualifies for ECT?

Who can get ECT in California? Any adult age 18 or older with an appropriate clinical diagnosis and who is capable of giving voluntary informed consent can receive ECT. Others, including adolescents between 13 and 17 years of age, may receive ECT after special reviews and legal procedures are followed.

What is the difference between electroshock therapy and electroconvulsive therapy?

Electroshock therapy, also known as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), is a treatment for severe major depression, bipolar depression, and other mental health conditions. Psychiatrists may recommend ECT when a person does not respond well to other treatments.

How much does electroshock therapy cost?

ECT treatments cost $300 to $1,000 per treatment, with an initial course requiring five to 15 treatments followed by 10 to 20 maintenance treatments per year, the researchers noted. That means the annual cost can be more than $10,000, compared with a cost of several hundred dollars for many antidepressant medications.

Can you get brain damage from ECT?

The review of literature and present evidence suggests that ECT has a demonstrable impact on the structure and function of the brain. However, there is a lack of evidence at present to suggest that ECT causes brain damage.