Electroshock therapy is a method of treating certain psychiatric disorders through the use of electric current to induce shock. This therapy is generally used in treating severe endogenous depressions and some forms of schizophrenia. How it achieves its effects is still not clear?
The electroconvulsive therapy was introduced in Rome in 1938 by U. Cerletti and L. Bini for treating psychiatric disorders. After that it has been widely used to treat manic-depressive psychosis and various other types of depression. In the electroshock therapy, two electrodes are placed in appropriate positions on the head of the patient and 50 or 60 hertz alternating current at about 70 volts is passed for about 0.1 sec. There have been modifications and variations in the basic technique. The passage of the current causes an immediate loss of consciousness and the induction of a convulsive seizure. The treatment is given three times a week for two to six weeks. In some serious cases, the doctors even resort to two or three treatments in a single day.
This therapy can have serious side-effects and complications. Hence it should be given to a few selected patients and with great skill and proper judgement. Although, it is a valuable therapeutic method in psychiatry, in certain cases it is not effective and sometimes it may even make matters worse.