Effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy

Abstract

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a medical treatment in which the patient’s brain is briefly electrically stimulated under anesthesia to induce a brief seizure. ECT is usually used when other treatments haven’t worked. Although it is primarily used to treat patients with major depression, patients with other disorders may also benefit.

Keywords

• electroconvulsive therapy
• hypochondriacal neurosis
• major depressive disorder