The healing power of ECT (Part 2)

In Part 2 of this deep dive into ECT, which stands for electroconvulsive therapy, Sohag Sanghani, MD, director of the ECT service at Zucker Hillside Hospital, talks about how the treatment was born, from its invention in 1938 by Italian scientists Ugo Cerletti and Lucio Bini, to the advent of modified ECT, to it’s impact today. He shares the importance of shedding stigma around ECT, which continues to create barriers to a highly effective therapy for those living with severe depression, psychosis and other behavioral health conditions.

Listeners can find Part 1 of this conversation with Dr. Sanghani in our feed, or read the podcast transcript here. 

Chapters: 

• 00:01 - Intro
• 01:10 - Unmodified ECT vs modified ECT
• 02:59 - A complicated history
• 04:06 - Dispelling myths, removing stigma
• 06:12 - Who should not get ECT?
• 06:49 - ECT in pregnancy
• 07:15 - History of ECT
• 09:20 - Before ECT, camphor used to treat depression
• 12:38 - ECT training course

More from Northwell Health:

• Learn about ECT from the patient's perspective.
• The healing power of vagus nerve stimulation