The relapse rate after short-term ECT is high, according to a study in the Journal of ECT, “owing to resistance to medication in these patients … 40% to 60% of patients relapse even with adequate antidepressant continuation therapy.” In what the authors claim is the first study of patients’ prognoses after discontinuation of continuation/maintenance ECT, Â almost half of patients (44%) had relapsed eight months after discontinuation, with most of these relapses occurring within three months.
Related Items:
ECT Damages the Brain by Peter Breggin. (Thanks, Donna)
The effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy: a literature review by John Read and Richard Bentall. (Thanks, Donna and markps2)
Studies by Major Shock Promoter Show ECT Damages the Brain
http://breggin.com/index2.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=203&Itemid=3
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Major expert analysis of literature and cost benefit analysis shows that brain damage, amnesia, risk of death, lack of efficacy and other factors indicate that ECT cannot be justified:
http://www.psychiatry.freeuk.com/ECTreview.pdf
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A better link is from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
See the “.gov” part?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21322506
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Mark,
Though your link may seem to provide more credibility, it only provides an abstract of the study. The link I provided includes the entire study of why ECT cannot be justified based on lack of efficacy and the huge brain damage and even death it causes.
Thanks for your input.
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I Love the insanity. “When discontinuation of continuation/mECT…”
Plus the faith in the drugs/meds to cure the disease. It is a brain chemical imbalance right? Why don’t the patients take the cure?
“maintaining remission after a successful course of short-term ECT is often difficult owing to resistance to medication in these patients.”
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From the article “permanent maintenance ECT should be considered.”
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
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I know, that is horrible !!!
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