An old therapy garners new attention

The history of medicine is replete with worthless and scary treatments like bloodletting, but now a once scorned treatment is gaining new interest.

“Shock therapy” is being used effectively today to treat a variety of disorders.
The proper name for this therapy is electroconvulsive therapy. According to Scientific American, the procedure involves attaching small electrodes to a patient’s head and allowing electricity to flow between them. The patient experiences what is hoped will be a beneficial seizure, changing brain chemistry.

Seen frequently in films where the patient is awake and resisting, this form of treatment would seem barbaric to any observer. Today, however, the treatment is carried out on sedated patients with extreme care and precaution to treat illnesses ranging from autism to severe depression.

The benefits of ECT
For the supporters of ECT, the benefits seem clear. According to the BBC, for instance, one family described the treatment as a miracle for her son that suffered from an extreme form of autism. With his condition, he would frequently suffer from bouts of rage that caused him to hurt himself and others. Countless traditional treatments left them stuck until they decided to try ECT.

Each session allows the boy to remain symptom-free for up to 10 days which means that he can lead a relatively normal life in the meantime.

In other cases, highlighted by Scientific American, psychiatrists have seen improvements in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and severe depression. They are not sure exactly what is causing the improvements, but some think that the electricity improves secretion of certain hormones and helps rebuild areas of the brain that protect against mental illness.

The risks of ECT
Not without risks, attaching electric currents to a person’s brain could be producing side-effects that aren’t yet fully understood. According to the BBC, ECT could permanently damage the brain and has exhibited short-term memory loss in many patients.