Electroconvulsive Therapy News and Research

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Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) involves the induction of a seizure for therapeutic purposes by the administration of a variable frequency electrical stimulus shock via electrodes applied to the scalp.

New therapy proves effective in reducing symptoms of treatment-resistant depression

In the largest study ever conducted with patients experiencing chronic and severe depression, researchers led by Dr. Scott Aaronson, Director of Clinical Research at Sheppard Pratt Health System have found that an implantable vagus nerve stimulation device paired with antidepressant treatment (which could include medications, psychotherapy, or electroconvulsive therapy proves effective in reducing symptoms among patients with treatment-resistant depression.

31 Mar 2017

Deep brain stimulation could be effective treatment option for patients with severe depressions

Treatment with deep brain stimulation can provide lasting relief to patients suffering from previously non-treatable, severe forms of depression several years into the therapy or even eliminate symptoms entirely.

20 Mar 2017

Painless tDCS technique could improve life for people with major depression

Small amounts of electricity similar to the output of a common 9-volt battery could improve life for people living with major depression, the most common mood disorder.

16 Nov 2016

AAGBI releases new standards of monitoring during anaesthesia for better patient safety

The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland has this month published new Standards in patient monitoring (Recommendations for standards of monitoring during anaesthesia and recovering 2016), and calls for all hospitals to work towards using capnography for all anaesthetist-led sedation to improve patient safety.

8 Sep 2016

Non-drug solutions for postpartum depression: an interview with Dr David Brock & Christopher Thatcher

Postpartum depression (PPD) is reported to occur in 10-15% of delivering women with an estimated 400,000 women affected annually in the US. It is the most common complication of childbirth and is a significant public health concern.

11 Jul 2016

Repeat, low-dose ketamine infusions may quickly reduce suicidal thoughts in depressed outpatients

Repeat intravenous treatment with low doses of the anesthetic drug ketamine quickly reduced suicidal thoughts in a small group of patients with treatment-resistant depression.

11 May 2016

FDA proposes to change regulation of ECT treatment

For decades, people with severe depression, bipolar disorder, and other major mental health conditions have gotten help from the treatment known as ECT, when nothing else helped them.

24 Mar 2016

Review of EAS cases among patients with psychiatric conditions in the Netherlands

A review of euthanasia or assisted suicide (EAS) cases among patients with psychiatric disorders in the Netherlands found that most had chronic, severe conditions, with histories of attempted suicides and hospitalizations, and were described as socially isolated or lonely, according to an article published online by JAMA Psychiatry.

11 Feb 2016

Clinical trial initiated to determine feasibility, safety of focused ultrasound to treat depression

The first patient with depression has been treated with focused ultrasound. This procedure marks the beginning of a pilot clinical trial to determine the feasibility and safety of MR-guided focused ultrasound to non-invasively destroy a small volume of tissue deep in the brain - the anterior limb of the internal capsule - a well-established target for treating severe depression.

29 Sep 2015

Catatonia may cause regression in Down syndrome patients

Down syndrome, the most common chromosomal disorder in America, can be complicated by significant deterioration in movement, speech and functioning in some adolescents and young adults. Physicians previously attributed this regression to depression or early-onset Alzheimer's, and it has not responded to treatments.

13 May 2015

Johns Hopkins student wins NCRC's 2015 Grand Prize

The National Collegiate Research Conference sponsored by the Harvard College Undergraduate Research Association awarded its 2015 Grand Prize to Mahima Sukumar, an undergraduate student at The Johns Hopkins University, working in the lab of Keri Martinowich, Ph.D., at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development.

5 Feb 2015

ECT improves general neurocognitive function in bipolar patients

A randomised trial shows that electroconvulsive therapy improves overall neurocognition in patients with treatment-resistant bipolar depression.

10 Dec 2014

Depressive episodes hard to treat in continuous cycling bipolar disorder

Patients with bipolar disorder who switch directly between mania and depression without a period of euthymia have a poor response to short-term antidepressant treatment, study findings indicate.

3 Dec 2014

ECT benefits demonstrated in randomised controlled trial

Electroconvulsive therapy is more effective than pharmacological treatment for the reduction of depressive symptoms in patients with treatment-resistant bipolar depression, Norwegian study data show.

24 Sep 2014

Electroconvulsive therapy combats treatment-resistant schizophrenia

The use of electroconvulsive therapy improves the chances of a treatment response in patients with continued schizophrenia symptoms despite use of antipsychotic medication, a randomised trial shows.

3 Sep 2014

Brain stimulation effective for treating depression

Brain stimulation treatments, like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), are often effective for the treatment of depression. Like antidepressant medications, however, they typically have a delayed onset.

22 Jul 2014

UTHealth study to assess deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression

A pilot study at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) will assess the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the medial forebrain bundle of the brain for treatment-resistant depression.

5 Mar 2014

USC's Keck Medicine becomes world's first center to implant responsive brain device to treat epilepsy

On Dec. 18, Keck Medicine of USC became the world's first medical center to implant a responsive brain device newly approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat epilepsy, with potential to help millions of people worldwide.

20 Dec 2013

Medical device to reduce frequency of seizures in epilepsy patients gets FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a device to help reduce the frequency of seizures in epilepsy patients who have not responded well to medications.

14 Nov 2013

Multiple aspects to severe bipolar mixed states

Researchers have identified four subgroups of severe bipolar mixed states, characterized by distinct symptomatologic presentations.

1 Oct 2013