• A procedure in which a series of short duration electric currents are passed via electrodes through the brain to cause a controlled seizure for the purpose of treating severe, intractable forms of mental illness, including depression, mania, and catatonia.
  NCI
  U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
• A treatment for severe depression and certain mental disorders. A brief seizure is induced by giving electrical stimulation to the brain through electrodes placed on the scalp.
  NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
  U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
• Electrically induced CONVULSIONS primarily used in the treatment of severe AFFECTIVE DISORDERS and SCHIZOPHRENIA.
  NLM Medical Subject Headings
  U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
• Used for severe depression resistant to drug treatment; patients are anesthetized and given a muscle relaxant, and a brief pulse of current is passed through the brain, triggering a short seizure, 6-12 times over a 2-4 week period.
  CRISP Thesaurus
  National Institutes of Health, 2006
• Introduction Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been demonstrated to be an effective and safe treatment for many psychiatric disorders. The use of ECT still generates significant controversy, however.
  Medscape
  WebMD, 2025
• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a procedure, done under general anesthesia, in which small 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 health conditions.
  Mayo Clinic
  Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2025