Can I have a quality seizure? A review

Abstract

Introduction

After seventy-five years of its introduction, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains the most effective treatment for severe depressive disorders. It is known that the antidepressant effect is not due only to the electric current itself, but by the general seizure activity. As so, for beneficial or adverse effects of ECTs, it's mainly important to induct a well-generalized seizure. Those can be influence by several variables like, seizure duration and threshold, ECT practice factors and medication, resulting in a lack efficacy. It's advantageous to treatment if physiological markers of adequacy are established to seizure quality, because a high seizure quality has been successfully correlated with better outcome in many studies.

Aims and methods

The aim of this work is to review the available international literature regarding to identified parameters that influence and evidence seizure quality.

Conclusion

Although throughout history ECT is embroiled in controversy, according to international bibliography, this is a technique of great therapeutic relevance and precise indications. It is noteworthy, that it has been shown to be an effective and safe treatment for many psychiatric disorders. Nevertheless, there is not a consensus regarding to the parameters to its efficacy, particularly the seizure quality. Thus, it's important to current practice, to do more studies in this field, in order to establish those parameters, have homogenise clinical practice and promote better results.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.