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.

Electroconvulsive Therapy found to be safe and effective treatment for some mental illnesses

Researchers have found that Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), where an electric current is passed through the brain, can reduce the severity of mental illnesses.

9 Apr 2024

New treatments in sight for challenging neuropsychiatric symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases

Study reviews the advancements in pharmacological treatments for neuropsychiatric syndromes in neurodegenerative disorders, discussing the complexities of managing symptoms such as depression, disinhibition, apathy, psychosis, and agitation to improve patient care.

3 Apr 2024

A new $16,000 postpartum depression drug is here. How will insurers handle it?

A much-awaited treatment for postpartum depression, zuranolone, hit the market in December, promising an accessible and fast-acting medication for a debilitating illness.

12 Mar 2024

She once advised the president on aging issues. Now, she’s battling serious disability and depression.

The GoFundMe request jumped out at me as I was scrolling through posts on LinkedIn.

28 Nov 2023

Electroconvulsive therapy alleviates depression symptoms by increasing aperiodic activity

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), formerly known as electroshock therapy, involves inducing a brief seizure in the brain using controlled doses of electricity.

15 Nov 2023

New evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to address peripartum depression

Pregnancy and the first year postpartum - referred to as the peripartum period - are a period of tremendous physiological, psychological, and social changes in a woman's life.

15 Nov 2023

LHPP gene identified as a potential target for treatment-resistant depression

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a widespread mental health condition that for many is disabling. It has long been appreciated that MDD has genetic as well as environmental influences.

2 Nov 2023

Research reveals surprising genetic overlap between neurological and psychiatric disorders

Researchers compared the shared genetic risk and biological foundations of neurological and mental illnesses.

1 Aug 2023

PCORI approves $258 million funding to support 26 new health care-related studies

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute has approved funding awards totaling $258 million to support 26 new research studies.

26 Jul 2022

$50 million PCORI funding approved for studies focused on treating suicidal depression and bipolar depression

Research teams at Mass General Brigham's founding members, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, have been approved for more than $50 million in funding awards by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute for studies focused on treating two important mental health conditions.

26 Jul 2022

Huntsman Mental Health Institute joins a national collaborative effort to tackle mood disorders

Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah was designated a Center of Excellence and member of the National Network of Depression Centers (NNDC), a consortium of leading academic medical centers working to accelerate research, education, and improved treatment options for people with depressive and bipolar illnesses.

8 Feb 2022

ECT treatment helps more people with severe depression than ketamine

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have compared the effects of intravenous ketamine treatment with ECT treatment in severe depression.

11 Jan 2022

Study: Middle-aged men are more likely to die after surgery than women

Middle-aged men are around 50% more likely to die after surgery than middle-aged women, according to new research being presented at Euroanaesthesia, the annual meeting of the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC), held online this year.

20 Dec 2021

Study confirms safety of electroconvulsive therapy for treatment of mental conditions

The safety concerns associated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are unwarranted, according to a new study in Frontiers in Psychology.

23 Nov 2021

Study investigates whether continued magnetic seizure therapy can prevent relapse of depression

Treatment-resistant depression or TRD is exactly what it sounds like: a form of mental illness that defies effective therapy. It is not rare, with an estimated 3 million persons in the United States suffering from TRD.

20 Oct 2021

Electroconvulsive therapy reduces deaths by suicide among depressed elders

Electroconvulsive therapy reduces deaths by suicide among older adults with depression in the months immediately following hospitalization, researchers report in the 10 September issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

12 Sep 2021

Women say California insurer makes it too hard to get drug for postpartum depression

When Miriam McDonald decided she wanted to have another baby at age 44, her doctor told her she had a better chance of winning the lottery. So when she got pregnant right away, she and her husband were thrilled. But within three days of giving birth to their son, in September 2019, everything shifted.

28 Jul 2021

Electroconvulsive therapy may result in longer hospital stays and increased health care costs

Electroconvulsive therapy, which may be effective at lowering long-term risks of suicide and death among patients with certain mood disorders, may result in longer hospital stays and increased health care costs, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

14 Jul 2021

New survey highlights key role of ECT for treating severe depression, other conditions

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in North America in March 2020, health care facilities stopped providing all but "essential" care, to reduce infection risks and preserve protective gear known as PPE.

3 Jun 2021

Personalized neuromodulation approach provides relief from severe depression symptoms

Targeted neuromodulation tailored to individual patients' distinctive symptoms is an increasingly common way of correcting misfiring brain circuits in people with epilepsy or Parkinson's disease.

18 Jan 2021