27-Dec-2013
Sunitha Rao R
BANGALORE: Revathi (name changed), a science teacher in a city based High school used to find it make it to the school during the end of every year. She was suffering from severe depression, as diagnosed by psychiatrists at NIMHANS. What came to her rescue was the Electro Convulsive Therapy popularly known as ECT or Electroshock, a method of treatment for psychiatric patients. She is now settled abroad with her family and no more on ECT.
What was earlier perceived as a barbaric form of therapy is now an easy chair therapy that has given re-birth to many individuals suffering from severe mental illness. Some patients also get back to their work in the afternoon, after the ECT session in the morning.
Convulsions can cure mental illness. That’s the basis on which on the Electro Convulsive Therapy popularly known as ECT or Electroshock, a method of treatment for psychiatric patients. The usage of ECT has completed 75 years recently and to commemorate the same, NIMHANS conducted a national symposium to discuss its history and the development of history. What is less used in west is one of the most sought after treatment modes in India.
Dr B N Gangadhar recalls the youngest patient he treated with ECT. “She was an 18 year old girl who had completed her SSLC, but refused to even walk out of the house after that/. She was suffering from Schizophrenia and her mother refused to look after her after a point of time. She was brought to NIMHANS and she recovered after ECT treatment for several months. Her mother who came to see her could not believe the dramatic change in her daughter,” says Dr Gangadhar.
He has invented an ECT machine five years ago, with the help of Niviqure, a company that’s now marketing the product. “The new ECT machine that we developed in smaller in size and is user friendly,” says Dr Gangadharan.
However ECT is not the first line of treatment. Its given only when the usual treatments fail. In cases where the patient cannot afford to wait for drug effects, or when the patient refuses to take oral tablets. ECT is suggested to increase the effectiveness of usual treatment.
According to Dr Declan McLoughlin, psychiatrist from Ireland who took part in the symposium, the usage of ECT is far less in Ireland in South England where he served. “In UK, its considered as the lost resort and us3ed in much later stage of health service. If 8% percent of treatment mode in Indian is ECT, its just 1 % in London. That does not mean that mental health of British is better compared to that of Indians. But the social, cultural scenario is such that the patients prefer drugs than the ECT.
Over 75 percent of the patients on ECT show very good improvement. Its the most powerful anti-depressant that is largely used among adults,” says Dr McLoughlin.
Besides, there are side effects of ECT as well. Short term memory loss is one of the side effects, who lessen which research is going on.
It 1947, ECT was used for the first time on a young male patient at Mysore Government Mental Hospital, which is now termed as NIMHANS.
“The electrodes connected to the patient in ECT induces electric current of 80-180 volts for a period of 0.1 to 1 second. This induces seizures in the patient, that calms him/her down. A mild dose of anesthesia is given before inducing electric flux. Over 20 patients undergo the therapy everyday in NIMHANS,” says Dr Pratima Murthy, professor of psychiatry, NIMHANS.
Who requires ECT?
- Patients suffering from severe depression with high suicidal risk
- Manic patients who are aggressive
- Patients with severe mental illness refusing to consume food, water and socially withdrawn
THE DISPATCH...On Mental Health 