How Does Electroconvulsive Therapy Work?

Electroconvulsive Therapy, or ECT, is more widely known as shock therapy. It is used to treat individuals with severe mental illness, such as major depressive disorder. It works by pulsing small electrical currents through the brain.

Countless films and books have depicted shock therapy as a punishment or as an abusive tactic used by draconian authorities. This has largely influenced the public perception of shock therapy and associated it with a prominent negative connotation.

This little space in the brain can also birth new neurons, albeit in small quantities. This phenomenon is known as neurogenesis, the “genesis” of new “neurons”. The initiation of this process requires the release of special chemicals in the brain known as neurotrophic factors, which prevent the neurons from dying, and instead stimulate them to grow.

Studies have shown that ECT can increase the volume of the hippocampus. One theory posits that ECT makes it easier for these factors to cross into the brain and carry out neurogenesis. Certain psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, also present with a loss of neurons. The neuron-generating ability of ECT can help improve such symptoms.

3. ECT Changes The Very Structure Of Your Brain By Rewiring Neurons

Abnormalities in the limbic system of the brain are a prime cause of mood disorders. The limbic system is also known as the emotional center of the brain. This part of the brain elicits almost all of our emotional responses, including anger, fear, love, sadness, etc. 

Patients who underwent ECT showed normalization of the connectivity between the frontal lobe of the brain and the limbic system, the parts of the brain that tend to show abnormal connectivity in people with depression.  These changes are known as neuroplastic changes.

As mentioned earlier, cells in the brain do not regenerate, but that does not close all doors for improvement. Neuroplasticity is the phenomenon of extensive rewiring that the brain undergoes under various conditions.

For example, when you learn a new language, the neurons in your brain undergo some cross-wiring to accommodate the new information you are taking in. 

ECT similarly causes rewiring in the limbic systems of patients suffering from mood disorders, thereby alleviating their debilitating symptoms. 

80 Years, And Still Going Strong

It has been more than eight decades since psychiatrists started using ECT, and it has stood the test of not only time, but also that of highly negative public perception.

Despite the less-than-appealing enactment of ECT in popular media, its benefits mask the disapproval of the masses. Patients who have undergone this treatment are satisfied with its outcome and often say that they would recommend it to others.

Memory loss is the most critical drawback of this procedure. However, patients who are severely debilitated by the symptoms of major depression and other mood disorders know that the benefits outweigh the costs.

Scientists and doctors are now working on making ECT as safe and comfortable for patients as possible, ensuring that our brains are sharp and ready for memory storage in the future!