Georgetown: The Health Ministry is looking at reintroducing Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) as a way of treating depression.
ECT is a procedure in which electric currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. ECT seems to cause changes in brain chemistry that can quickly reverse symptoms of certain mental illnesses. It often works when other treatments are unsuccessful.
This form of treatment was available in Guyana some time back but the programme was abandoned by the Government after some human rights concerns were raised.
Much of the stigma that was attached to ECT is based on early treatments in which high doses of electricity were administered without anesthesia, leading to memory loss, fractured bones and other seriously detrimental side effects incurred by the patient.
However, with all the advancements in medicine, ECT is much safer today and is given to people while they are under general anesthesia.
Although ECT still causes some side effects, it now uses electrical currents given in a controlled dosage to achieve the desired purpose while significantly minimising the risks attached.
When medication fails to ease the symptoms of clinical depression, there are other options to try. Brain stimulation techniques such as ECT, for example, can be used to treat major depression that has not responded to standard treatments. According to online medical journals, the least invasive of these techniques is called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), in which a magnetic field is created by a device held to the forehead, causing a weak electrical signal to be applied to the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain that is connected to mood.
Lead researcher, Dr Sujay Patel explained that in a nutshell the process is simply a reboot of the body’s nervous systems and is used as a last resort.
He explained that ECT is one of the fastest ways to relieve symptoms in severely depressed or suicidal patients, noting that it is also very effective for patients who suffer from several other forms of mental illnesses. However, Dr Patel contended that ECT is generally used when severe depression is unresponsive to other forms of therapy.
Already the team has managed to acquire an ECT machine and once the results of the research are conclusive, they would be able to donate it to the Health Ministry.
Prior treatment
Prior to ECT treatment, a patient is given a muscle relaxant and is put to sleep with a general anesthesia. Electrodes are placed on the patient’s scalp and a finely controlled electric current is applied. This current causes a brief seizure in the brain. The team’s Anesthesiologist explained that because the muscles are relaxed, the visible effects of the seizure will usually be limited to slight movement of the hands and feet. The doctor further noted that all patients are carefully monitored during the treatment and usually regain consciousness minutes later. It was noted that patients do not generally remember the treatment or events surrounding it, and are most times confused but this is sporadic and only lasts for a short period of time before all cognitive senses are fully restored.
Depression poses many dangers, burdening people with a sense of hopelessness and which in turn heightens their risk of committing suicide or attempting the act. In attempts to eradicate the emotional pain associated with depression, some turn to alcohol, drugs, and other harmful behaviours that endanger them even further, Psychologists say.
In September, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that Guyana had the highest estimated suicide rate for 2012, even as it disclosed that around 800,000 people die each year as a result of the scourge.
Suicide has been a major issue here for a number of years with Government struggling to deal with the issue. Suicide occurs all over the world and can take place at almost any age. Globally, rates of suicide are highest in people aged 70 years and over. In some individual countries, however, the highest rates are found among the young. Notably, suicide is the second-leading cause of death among 15 to 29 year olds globally.
In general, more men die by suicide than women. In countries of the Americas, rates range two to six times higher for men than for women.
Pesticide poisoning is one of the most common methods of suicide, especially in low-and middle-income countries, and accounts for one-third of cases globally.
You must be logged in to post a comment.