electroconvulsive therapy

a somewhat drastic treatment for severe DEPRESSION and sometimes SCHIZOPHRENIA . An electric current is passed through the brain, producing a convulsion that is controlled by administering an anaesthetic and a muscle relaxant. There is no memory of the shock, and there may be temporary amenesia with headache and confusion - symptoms that usually dissipate within a few hours. It is a treatment that is used much less now than formerly, and even then it is considered suitable for only very carefully chosen patients.