10 ms·

I dunno; retaining functioning memory is rather important, particularly if one wants to hold down a job. Plus it doesn't jibe with the occasional anecdote of pa

I dunno; retaining functioning memory is rather important, particularly if one wants to hold down a job. Plus it doesn't jibe with the occasional anecdote of patients who report permanent cognitive dysfunctions after extended treatment. Personally, I choose to believe my clinician, an experienced psychiatrist, who said bluntly to me "You don't want that. ECT makes you stupid." Loss of cognitive abilities is something I (and many techies) can't afford to risk.

outlace 7y ago
The prevailing evidence suggests ECT does not appear to cause significant permanent long term cognitive impairment https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1064748119303392 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S106474811... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2053635/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2053635/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/28617690/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/28617690/
- ThrowawayP 7y ago
  > "...these summaries report that patient self- reported memory loss tends to be more persistent than the deficits that can be measured on formal neuropsychological testing. However, for those patients who do experience memory or cognitive impairment, they consider this to be a considerable source of distress for themselves and their families." https://psychcentral.com/lib/research-findings-on-memory-and-cognitive-impairment-in-ect/ https://psychcentral.com/lib/research-findings-on-memory-and... > "...We aimed to examine whether long-term effects of ECT on discrete memory systems could be detected in patients with B[ipolar]D[isorder]... Compared with healthy subjects, patients had verbal learning and memory deficits. Subjects who had received remote ECT had further impairment on a variety of learning and memory tests when compared with patients with no past ECT. This degree of impairment could not be accounted for by illness state at the time of assessment or by differential past illness burden between patient groups..." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1911194/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1911194/ I don't think there's sufficient evidence on the long-term effects yet and a high incentive for clinicians to reach for ECT as something that works when nothing else will.
DanBC 7y ago
The alternative is not remaining at work with high function, it's being dead.

outlace 7y ago

The prevailing evidence suggests ECT does not appear to cause significant permanent long term cognitive impairment https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1064748119303392 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S106474811... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2053635/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2053635/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/28617690/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/28617690/

ThrowawayP 7y ago
> "...these summaries report that patient self- reported memory loss tends to be more persistent than the deficits that can be measured on formal neuropsychological testing. However, for those patients who do experience memory or cognitive impairment, they consider this to be a considerable source of distress for themselves and their families." https://psychcentral.com/lib/research-findings-on-memory-and-cognitive-impairment-in-ect/ https://psychcentral.com/lib/research-findings-on-memory-and... > "...We aimed to examine whether long-term effects of ECT on discrete memory systems could be detected in patients with B[ipolar]D[isorder]... Compared with healthy subjects, patients had verbal learning and memory deficits. Subjects who had received remote ECT had further impairment on a variety of learning and memory tests when compared with patients with no past ECT. This degree of impairment could not be accounted for by illness state at the time of assessment or by differential past illness burden between patient groups..." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1911194/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1911194/ I don't think there's sufficient evidence on the long-term effects yet and a high incentive for clinicians to reach for ECT as something that works when nothing else will.

DanBC 7y ago

The alternative is not remaining at work with high function, it's being dead.