There is considerable variability in the trajectories, but most commonly there is progressive symptomatic improvement within the first week and complete remission
within 3 to 4 weeks
.
Does ECT wear off?
The duration of improvement (how long recovery lasts). The benefits of
ECT may last for years
or they may disappear in a matter of weeks. After a series of ECT treatments, your doctor may prescribe medication to help prevent symptomsfrom returning.
What is the longest lasting effect of electroconvulsive therapy?
The most persistent adverse effect is
retrograde amnesia
What are the long term side effects of ECT?
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).
How long does an ECT seizure last?
When you’re asleep from the anesthetic and your muscles are relaxed, the doctor presses a button on the ECT machine. This causes a small amount of electric current to pass through the electrodes to your brain, producing a seizure that usually lasts
less than 60 seconds
.
Can ECT make you worse?
Some people have very bad experiences of ECT, for example because they
feel worse after treatment
or are given it without consent. You might not want to risk the possibility of getting side effects.
What are the negative side effects of ECT?
The most common side effects of ECT on the day of treatment include
nausea, headache, fatigue, confusion
, and slight memory loss, which may last minutes to hours. These risks must be balanced with the consequences of ineffectively treated severe psychiatric disorders.
Can ECT lead to dementia?
The present study shows that notwithstanding other possible adverse long-term cognitive effects,
ECT is not associated with an increased risk of dementia
. This finding supports the continued use of ECT in patients with severe episodes of mood disorders, including those who are elderly.
Can ECT change your personality?
ECT does not change a person’s personality
, nor is it designed to treat those with just primary “personality disorders.” ECT can cause transient short-term memory — or new learning — impairment during a course of ECT, which fully reverses usually within one to four weeks after an acute course is stopped.
What is the success rate of ECT?
Typically, ECT (whether inpatient or outpatient) is given two to three times a week for a total of six to twelve sessions. Some patients may need more or fewer treatments. These sessions improve depression in
70 to 90 percent of patients
, a response rate much higher than that of antidepressant drugs.
When should ECT not be used?
a
past history of moderate or severe depression or
.
initial presentation of subthreshold depressive symptoms
that have been present for a long period (typically at least 2 years) or. subthreshold depressive symptoms or mild depression that persist(s) after other interventions.
Is ECT still used in 2020?
Although electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is, along with antidepressants and psychotherapy, one of the three major treatments of depression,
it is still considered as the last resort for depressed patients
. This situation is partially due to limited studies and uncertainty regarding its mechanism.
Does ECT work immediately?
In reality, it is a painless medical procedure performed under general anesthesia that is considered one of the most effective treatments for severe depression. It can be lifesaving.
ECT works quickly
, which is why it’s often the treatment of choice for people with highly severe, psychotic, or suicidal depression.
Has anyone ever died from ECT?
Death associated with ECT is extremely rare
. A recent analysis estimated that the rate of ECT-related mortality is 2.1 deaths per 100,000 treatments. In comparison, the mortality rate of general anesthesia used during surgery has been reported as 3.4 deaths per 100,000 procedures.
Does ECT damage the brain?
These conditions are not approached during ECT. Other findings indicate that the passage of electricity, thermal effects, and the transient disruption of the blood-brain barrier during ECS do not result in structural brain damage. Conclusions:
There is no credible evidence that ECT causes structural brain damage
.
Is ECT good for anxiety?
Conclusions: Electroconvulsive therapy
is effective in the acute treatment of major depressive disorder patients associated with anxiety symptoms
. Anxiety symptoms improved less than depression symptoms during acute electroconvulsive therapy.
