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Electroconvulsive therapy assignment introduction
Electroconvulsive therapy assignment introduction
Electro convulsive therapy oros and cons
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Many treatments within the medical field have been considered controversial, but even after seventy-eight years of use electroconvulsive therapy, also referred to as ECT, is still one of the most questionable treatments. Just like any other treatment ECT has its risk and advantages, but it seems to have an even more negative connotation than other controversial treatments due to its violent history. Throughout the seventy-eight years that ECT has been around, research has been done to learn more about the treatment, which disorders it can be useful for, and what side effects can occur. The research has led to adjustments being made to the procedure and has significantly improved patient safety. The success of electroconvulsive therapy can be shown by numbers and case opinions; it may work for one person, but not another. Several strides have been made in the medical field in regards to electroconvulsive therapy. The treatment is defined as “a medical procedure in which a brief electrical stimulus is used to induce a cerebral seizure under controlled conditions” (Enns, Reiss & Chan, 2010). It is used for a handful of mental illnesses, such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, but when it was introduced in 1938 by Ugo Cerletti and Lucio Bin, its main use was to treat schizophrenia (Enns, Reiss & Chan, 2010). ECT can indeed be effective for schizophrenia, but the best results are when the “… duration of [the] illness is relatively brief or when catatonic or affective symptoms are prominent” (Enns, Reiss & Chan, 2010). Unlike schizophrenia, the best results from ECT have come from treatments with patients who have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder and alternative methods are no longer working... ... middle of paper ... ...e treatment in any way possible, but there is also situational based success. Just like medication does not help all patients, there is not a one hundred percent guarantee that the electroconvulsive therapy treatment with help all patients who deal with mental health issues. Works Cited Cyrzyk, T. (2013). Electroconvulsive therapy: Why it is still controversial. Mental Health Practice, 16(7). (Cyrzyk, 2013) (2007). Electroconvulsive therapy. Harvard Health Publications. The Harvard Mental Health Letter. (“Electroconvulsive therapy, 2007) Enns, M. W. M., Reiss, J. P. M. M., & Chan, P. M. (2010). Electroconvulsive therapy. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 55(6). (Enns, Reiss & Chan, 2010) Kelly, S., & Kelly, L. (2013). Improving patient safety and quality of care for patients receiving electroconvulsive therapy. Mental Health Practice. (Kelly & Kelly, 2013)
Unlike Naomi, Eric does not respond to drug therapy. Therefore, instead of a drug therapy, Eric receives the electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) or brain stimulation often an effective treatment for patients like Eric with severe depression who does not respond to a drug therapy. By shocking the brain, the ECT manipulates the brain’s chemical imbalance produced by the social-cultural stress experience. But after eleven ECTs in a month, Eric cannot function because of the temporary side effects of memory loss and confusion affecting his concentration to play the viola and his well-being. Then after four months of receiving ECT treatment, Eric returns to normal social functioning as a musician. Six months later, Eric is still playing the viola and has had no recurrence of his
The magnetic pulses easily pass through the skull and causes small electrical currents that stimulate nerve cells in the targeted brain region. The magnetic field that is produced lasts 100 to 200 microseconds, and the procedure is less invasive than the ECT. rTMS may increase blood flow and the metabolism of glucose in the prefrontal cortex. It like ECT can additionally be a treatment option for mania but continues to be
... in assisting those who care about the bipolar individual, as well as providing socialization and a means to not feel alone. Generally, as a last resort, electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT is used. An electrical current is passed through the brain. This is thought to change the brain chemistry and increase the mood. This is used only for severe depression or when symptoms are unsuccessfully treated with medications. People with Bipolar Disorder are encouraged to avoid drinking alcohol, avoid the use of street drugs or misusing prescription medications, avoid unhealthy relationships, get plenty of sleep, and exercise on a regular basis. One thing is clear. The person themselves must be active in their own well-being in order to maintain a relatively healthy and productive lifestyle. In so doing, the prognosis for someone diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder is very good.
Sadly, no one had the luxury of a proper treatment. Back in the 19th century, the Rest Cure was known as a cure-all of nervous mental illnesses, which we know is not the case today. A test or screening on mental health can help a doctor or psychiatrist determine the best personalized cure for almost any sort of issue you are
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a treatment for severe mental illness in which the brain is stimulated with a strong electrical current which induces a seizure. The seizure rearranges the brain's neurochemistry and results in an elevation of mood. This essay asks: Is ECT any safer and more effective in treating mood disorders than drug therapies? This treatment has a controversial history ever since it was first introduced in 1938. I intend to argue that electroconvulsive therapy is indeed a safe treatment of mental disorders when other treatments have failed. Due to the development of safer and less traumatic ways of administering ECT, the treatment has made a comeback, is greatly used, and proves to be effective.
?What is the role of ECT in the treatment of mania?? Harvard Mental Health Letter. June 1997.
Currently, there is a lack of studies in regards to whether or not this therapy causes significant damage to the brain. Correspondingly, there is little research done in regards to how great relapse rates are and how long the treatment can truly last. Consequently, many people have abstained from receiving treatment to avoid any possibility of impairment or reversion. However, it has not been denied nor confirmed that ECT directly causes the aforementioned results. Moreover, many theories created to downplay electroconvulsive therapy’s effectiveness are being brought back into the spotlight, including one that attributes ECT’s success to brain damage. Breggin states, “More recently [Harold] Sackeim and Sackeim with a team of colleagues have covertly revived the principle that a therapeutic response depends upon the degree of brain damage and dysfunction” (par. 17). Although this theory was made to discredit ECT, there has been no research done to disprove its accuracy. Furthermore, because of a lack of research, when a new study such as this comes out, many people believe it right away no matter how erroneous it may actually be. More research on ECT is desperately needed to see if these theories are factual or not. As a result of these truths or fallacies, the therapy can be improved upon
An individual who has a mental illness can be a danger to themselves and others. They don't live a normal life that is guaranteed to them, holding them back from being successful and having a bright future. If medications are not working for a mental illness, then the patient can consider electroconvulsive therapy. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a medical procedure that sends currents of electricity through your brain. ECT saves lives and is ethical to treat patients using “psychosurgical” procedure.
Epilepsy, also known as “seizure disorder,” or “seizure attack,” is the fourth most common neurological disorder known to mankind, affecting an estimated 2.3 million adults and 467,711 children in the United States. Unfortunately this disorder is becoming far more common and widespread worldwide. This staggering number of cases of people suffering from Epilepsy also involves an average growth rate of 150,000 new cases each year in the United States alone. Generally, many of the people who develop who are a part of the new are mainly either young children or older adults. Your brain communicates through chemical and electrical signals that are all specialized for specific tasks. However, through the process of communication, chemical messengers, also known as neurotransmitters can suddenly fail, resulting in what is known as a seizure attack. Epilepsy occurs when a few too many brain cells become excited, or activated simultaneously, so that the brain cannot function properly and to it’s highest potential. Epilepsy is characterized when there is an abnormal imbalance in the chemical activity of the brain, leading to a disruption in the electrical activity of the brain. This disruption specifically occurs in the central nervous system (CNS), which is the part of the nervous system that contains the brain and spinal cord. This causes an interruption in communication between presynaptic neurons and postsynaptic neurons; between the axon of one neuron, the message sender and the dendrite of another neuron, the message recipient. Consequently, the effects that epileptic seizures may induce may range anywhere from mild to severe, life-threatening ramifications and complications. There are many different types of seizures associa...
Furthermore, cognitive behavioral therapy may not cure your condition or rid you of all your unpleasant situations, but overall it can be an effective treatment and comes highly recommended. It gives you the power and tools to cope with stressful situations in order to live more positively, making you feel better about yourself and your life. CBT is proven to work with many clinical problems that plague the human condition.
The diagnosis of epilepsy is usually made after the patient experiences a second unprovoked seizure (Leppik, 2002). Diagnosis is often difficult, however, since it is unlikely that the physician will actually see the patient experience and epileptic seizure, and therefore must rely heavily on patient’s history. An electroencephalography (EEG) is often used to examine the patient’s brain waves, and some forms of epilepsy can be revealed by a characteristic disturbance in electrical frequency (Bassick, 1993). The variations in frequency can take form as spikes or sharp waves (Fisher, 1995). The variations are divided into two groups, ictal electrograph abnormalities, which are disturbances resulting from seizure activity, and interictal electrograph abnormalities, or disturbances between seizures. The EEG can also give clues as to which region of the brain the disturbances arise from. Interictal temporal spikes will predict the side of seizure origin in 95% of patients if three times as ...
Unfortunately violence in the health care system is becoming more prevalent each year and the necessity to be able to sedate patients safely and quickly to protect themselves and others has almost become a day to day occurrence in the Geraldton Emergency Department. Before sedation is considered the three main causes for these patients to present need to be discussed which can include one or a combination of medical disorders usually associated with delirium, substance abuse either illicit drugs or alcohol and lastly the majority of patients that get sedated in emergency departments have a variety of psychiatric disorders such as mania, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder and personality disorders (Electronic Therapeutic Guidelines complete, 2014).
The strengths of the EMDR therapy are that it uses elements of cognitive behavior and psychodynamic to treat clients. (1).EMDR therapy has eight phases of the treatment approach, they are; in phase one is the development of the treatment plan and getting the history from the client. In the second phase of the treatment is to teach the client coping skills needed to deal with stress in a positive manner. In phases three, four, and five the focus is on the therapist assisting the client into finding positive belief to replace negative ones. In the seventh phase the clients keeps a journal for the week. In that journal the client writes down anything that may trigger any negative ima...
This therapy was first developed in 1938, which initially started out with a poor reputation but has improved since its earlier uses. ECT is only considered to be used when the patient’s illness has not improved after other treatments have been tested first. ECT is also only administered to a person who is under general anesthesia and has been given a muscle relaxant to prevent movement that could cause damage during the procedure. While that patient is under anesthesia and undergoes this type of therapy they do not feel any pain or discomfort during the procedure (NIMH, N/D). This typical procedure is administered about three times a week so it can to help relieve the depression that the patient is dealing with. Along with any medical treatment comes with side effects. Electroconvulsive therapies side effects range from a headache or muscle ache to the more extreme of possible memory
While scientists continue to investigate exactly what electricity does to the human brain, they still use it as a form of therapy. ECT is administered annually to 100,000 Americans (Boodman 7). This inexpensive form of temporary relief is administered by the simple twist of a dial and is yet to be refined. These imperfections can make ECT an unpredictable and risky procedure that may even end lives. Still everyday, hundreds of desperate Americans give into these sometimes favorable artificial convulsions induced by electrical power.