Electric shock is another name for the longer "electroconvulsive therapy," in which a patient is given a small electric shock to deliberately cause a short seizure in the person's brain. It has been used as therapy since the early 1930s. According to Drs. Anjala Tess and Mark Aronson, professors of medicine at Harvard Medical School, the main use for the therapy today is for the treatment of major depression that has not responded to antidepressant medications. This less-traditional treatment is associated with multiple potential side effects.
Heart-Related Side Effects
A 1996 study published in the "Journal of Clinical Psychiatry" reported that a possible rare, but potentially fatal, side effect of electric shock therapy is a condition called asystole, in which the heart stops beating. This serious effect may occur during the first treatment or in subsequent treatments. To prevent this effect, the author, Dr. W.V. McCall of the department of psychiatry at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine in North Carolina, recommends pre-treating patients with a medication called atropine. Other heart-related side effects include a slowing of the heart rate--called bradycardia--as well as an abnormally low blood pressure. During the seizure induced by the shock, the heart rate may go up to over 100 beats per minute and blood pressure may increase. These side effects generally disappear within 20 minutes of the session.
Central Nervous System-Related Side Effects
Memory loss is often a concern related to electroconvulsive therapy. A study published in the British Medical Journal in 2001 indicated that about one-third of patients using the therapy experience memory loss. Memory loss can take the form of retrograde amnesia--losing memories that were formed before treatment occurred--or anterograde amnesia--being unable to form new memories after the therapy session. The memory loss is generally not permanent and resolves within a short time. Other central nervous system side effects include disorientation and confusion immediately after the session. This often lasts for several hours after the session and gradually improves. In about 10 percent of cases, patients may experience delirium, which is a severe state of confusion that may involve hallucinations, delusions and lack of awareness about your surroundings.
Other Side Effects
Headaches and muscle aches are commonly reported side effects of electroconvulsive therapy as well. A 1995 study of 92 patients found that nausea, tiredness, headache and muscle aches were all reported as subjective side effects. The reason for these side effects are not yet known, but patients undergoing the therapy should be aware that they may occur.
References
- "Journal of Clinical Psychiatry"; Asystole in Electroconvulsive Therapy: Report of Four Cases; W. V. McCall; May 1996
- "Convulsive Therapy"; Subjective Side Effects During Electroconvulsive Therapy; D.P. Devanand et. al.; December 1995
- "UpToDate"; Denise S. Basow; 2010
