Electroconvulsive Therapy

By Richard Abrams

In this fully-revised fourth edition of what has long been the standard textbook for the field, Dr. Richard Abrams once again demonstrates his unique ability to analyze and present a wealth of new(and often technical) material in a lucid, compelling, and highly readable fashion. Hundreds of new clinical studies called from the more than 1500 published since the third edition appeared have been analyzed in depth and incorporated throughout the book.
An important new chapter has been added on Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation(TMS) therapy, a treatment for depression that is widely-used in Europe and expected to become available soon for clinical use in the United States. Dr. Abrams exposes the scientific flaws in several widely-cited reports, while focusing on the few carefully-controlled studies that provide solid support for the results claimed.
The sections on the electrical stimulus, seizing introduction, seizure quality, and treatment electrode placement have been completely revised and updated with new information on those clinical and technical issues that are presently of greatest concern to practitioners and researchers. A comprehensive critical assessment of the nature of the seizure threshold and the validity of the stimulus titration method for ECT dosing is presented for the first time, with conclusions and recommendations that many will find surprising.
The continued controversy over the relative efficacies of unilateral and bitemporal ECT is revisited in light of the latest dosing strategies and treatment outcomes reported, and of the latest results obtained with bifrontal ECT. The potential clinical and theoretical advantages of the recently-rediscovered technique of ultrabrief pulse therapy are explained in detail. The chapter on the memory and cognitive consequences of ECT has been expanded to focus on the subjective memory effects of treatment, with new analysis of the possible biological basis for the improvement in subjective memory so often reported. Recently-published claims of persistent or permanent memory effects of ECT are refuted in detail.
In full accordance with the American Psychiatric Association's new guidelines for the practice of ECT, Dr. Abrams' book remains the essential practical guide and reference work for all those who prescribe, perform, or assist with ECT, or are interested in learning more about the subject.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195148207
• ISBN13: 9780195148206
• Release Date: July 2002
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 344 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.6" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

great technical book

this is a medical book, providing the informations necessary for the good practice of ECT. there is no room for ideology in this type of text. all a doctor can expect. Helbert Campos, psychiatrist, Brazil

No anecdotal information should serve as evidence.

I... that Dr. Abrams is an expert in ECT and his book is well written. However I would argue that the critique on not being "balanced with dissenting voice" has no scientific/logic base. Our society is so poisened by political demands (correctness) that the scientific truth is often submerged by mass desire. When we evaluate a medical procedure, we must base our argument on scientific data. I have read literature in this field extensively, and I have not yet found any solid research data showed that ECT imposed danger of "permanent memory loss, organic brain dysfunction, and even death". To me, case reports are no data, anecdotal opinion is no data. For only the sake of discussion, please consider this: if we did ECT on 1000 patients, and 2 of them dead, 3 of them got brain injury, and the families of these 5 patients went to the press. All we may hear now is that ECT killed or damaged people. However, the hidden truth might be: without ECT 10% of the 1000 patients would have killed themselves, 20% would have health damage out of malnushiment due to financial difficulty (e.g., loss job), alcohol and substance, other medical conditions that were worsened by depression, and 5% of them were killed by chemical treatment, and etc. ECT may have dramatically improved the life quality of 70% of this 1000 patients. We will never know the truth if we stop at the anecdotal information provided by the 5 cases. Anecdotal, according to American Heritage Dictionary, means: based on personal observation, case study reports, or random investigations rather than systematic scientific evaluation. I am not a zealous advocator of ECT, but I trust only scientific evidence. If anyone would tell me ECT caused brain damage, please show me the scientific evidence. Don't tell me you or your uncle or your sister was damaged by ECT. Don't tell me how many psychiatrists admitted the "downside" of ECT. Show me the well designed research, show me the well controlled data.Truth is never "balanced dissenting voice". Truth can only be found through scientific research. Three hundred years ago, the balanced dissenting voice said the earth is the center of the universe. The man argued against the balanced dissenting voice was killed. However, the truth was, as it was 1 million years ago, as it is today, as it will be 1 million years later, that the globe is not the center of the universe. How do we know that? Through scientific research!