SYMPOSIUM: ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY. Electroconvulsive therapy
Danuta Palińska, Iwona Kłoszewska
Affiliation and address for correspondenceElectroconvulsive therapy was established in 1939 and it still has been developing. The idea of therapeutic effect of electric shocks came from the observations, that psychotic symptoms disappeared in patients, who underwent seizures. The electric stimulus was used to produce grand mal seizures in psychiatric patients. Nowadays the modifications in technical aspects of electrotherapy results in good tolerance of electroshocks. In the contrary to common opinions this method is more safe and efficacious than pharmacotherapy in many psychiatric conditions. Fast antidepressant effects is beneficial in lowering the risk of suicide in major depression. Electroconvulsive therapy is first line treatment in acute fatal catatonia and in schizophrenia resistant to pharmacotherapy.
