Electroconvulsive therapy

Electroconvulsive therapy, also known as electroshock or ECT, is type of psychiatric treatment in which the a seizure is induced in a patient by an electrical shock. It is used in the treatment of severe depression, usually in cases where drug treatments have proven ineffective. At one time, it was used in the treatment of schizophrenia but is now generally regarded as ineffective for this purpose.

In modern ECT, the patient is unconscious when the seizure is triggered, and muscle relaxants and general anestesia is used to prevent the muscle from actually moving during the treatment. The existence of the seizure is confirmed by means of an EEG.

There is current research in using transcranial magnetic stimulation as an alternative to ECT.