Depression׳s causes play a role in individuals׳ different responses to antidepressant treatments, which require advancements. We investigated the mechanisms behind and responses to a highly effective antidepressant treatment, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), in rat models with different (genetic or environmental) depression causes. Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats and Wistar rats treated with chronic un...

––Electroconvulsive therapy is also known as Electroshock or Shock therapy or Electroplex. Seizure activity produced by ECT is considered as the therapeutic aspect of this form of treatment, but is accompanied by untoward physiologic consequences, mainly cardiovascular and cerebral in nature. The hemodynamic effects can have a significant impact in patients with underlying cardiovascular diseas...

Despite years of drug development, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains the most effective treatment for severe depression. The exact therapeutic mechanism of action of ECT is still unresolved and therefore we tested the hypothesis that the beneficial effect of ECT could in part be the result of increased noradrenergic neurotransmission leading to a decrease in α2-adrenoceptor binding. We ha...

Electroshock treatment, termed electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) by psychiatrists, is the induction of an artificial grand mal seizure in an individual by passing electricity through the brain. This paper addresses three aspects of this practice – its efficacy, its most salient effect, memory loss, and brain damage. In examining these issues it becomes apparent that psychiatry’s policy has been t...