- Severe depression
- Treatment-resistant depression
- Severe Mania
- Catatonia
- Agitation and aggression in people with dementia

Electroconvulsive Therapy can treat the following conditions:

(the first wave is defined as being from mid-March 2020 to mid-May 2020)

The four regions for this study included Ontario, Quebec, Western Canada, and Atlantic Canada 

Demchenko and their team found these findings in their survey study:

- Generally, hospitals prioritized inpatient acute treatments over outpatient acute or maintenance treatments

- Usage of telemedicine was 50% in the Atlantic region, 45% in the Western Region, 33% in Ontario, and 19% in Quebec

- Most of the time, clinical ethicists had not been involved in decision-making regarding ECT policies during the pandemic

- Stigma and lack of understanding of ECT procedures were more of an issue in the Ontario and Quebec regions

*see child nodes for definitions of some of the terms in this node*

How did COVID-19 impact Electroconvulsive therapy in Canada in the first wave? 

- Confusion 
- Memory issues or retrograde amnesia
- Nausea, headache, jaw pain, or muscle ache
- Heart rate and blood pressure will increase during surgery, so it's risky to do ECT if the client has had heart complications

Risks Associated with receiving Electroconvulsive Therapy 

Electroconvulsive therapy is one of the most historical and effective treatments. It is the most historical and well-known treatment method. Electroconvulsive therapy is a typical treatment that can be used in patients who are difficult or ineffective in drug treatment. Most patients who have been treated for electric convulsions show rapid improvement without significant side effects.

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

ECT has been a controversial treatment method for depression due to it's negative impact on cognitive function. Indeed, research has shown that ECT does temporarily reduce the effectiveness of working memory, anterograde visual memory, and verbal anterograde memory. This study decided to test this further by comparing the cognitive function between patients in remission after ECT and a control group. This was done through the use of patient's self-evaluation of memory, numerical memorization, drawing exercises, and more. Therefore, it is possible that the negative effects of ECT for depression may not be as significant as previously thought.

Effect of ECT for Depression on Cognitive Function

- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
- Deep brain stimulation (DBS)
- Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS)

Somatic Therapy

Biomedical therapy is a treatment approach for psychological disorders that involves the use of medication and/or medical procedures. These biological interventions can be administered as a primary treatment or in conjunction with other forms of therapy, such as psychotherapy.

Biomedical Therapy

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

ECT ( Electroconvulsive therapy)

Mayo Clinic Websites for 
- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
- Deep brain stimulation (DBS)
- Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS)

Note: Add references as needed.

References for Somatic Therapy 2.0

- Using a device to stimulate the vagus nerve (one vagus nerve located on each side of your body)
- alters brain activity to treat certain conditions

Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS)

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) uses a magnet to activate the brain. First developed in 1985, rTMS has been studied as a treatment for depression, psychosis, anxiety, and other disorders.

Unlike ECT, in which electrical stimulation is more generalized, rTMS can be targeted to a specific site in the brain. Scientists believe that focusing on a specific site in the brain reduces the chance for the types of side effects associated with ECT. But opinions vary as to what site is best.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

- Mild electrical stimulation of brain sites
- Surgically implanted electrode
- Targets different brain regions
- Used to treat depression that did not benefit from other treatment options
- Recent studies call into question whether DBS is more effective than a placebo to reduce depression

Deep Brain Stimulation

Psychotropic medications are drugs prescribed to manage the symptoms of mental disorders. They function by altering the levels or effects of neurotransmitters in the brain, aiming to correct imbalances associated with various psychological conditions.

Psychotropic Medications

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a biologically based treatment for severe mental disorders, particularly severe depression that has not responded to drug therapy. The procedure involves using an electrical current to induce seizures, which helps alleviate symptoms. While the exact mechanism of action is not understood, ECT has a high success rate, with about 85% of patients showing improvement. However, due to significant side effects like memory loss associated with repeated treatments, it is typically implemented as a last resort.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

Based on the following case, identify the most appropriate primary therapeutic approach to directly address the root cause of the patient's symptoms and explain your reasoning.

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