The mechanism of action of electroconvulsive therapy remains elusive, so I am going to describe how ECT induces seizures, discuss the evidence that ECT is not just an elaborate placebo (or in other words, inducing the seizure is what results in the therapeutic benefit), and then briefly discuss some of the many proposed mechanisms by which it might work.Please leave feedback at https://www.psydactic.com. References and readings (when available) are posted at the end of each episode transcript, located at psydactic.buzzsprout.com. All opinions expressed in this podcast are exclusively those of the person speaking and should not be confused with the opinions of anyone else. We reserve the right to be wrong. Nothing in this podcast should be treated as individual medical advice.

ECT Indications, Contra-indications, Patient Evaluation and Consent

A resource for psychiatrists and other medical or behavioral health professionals interested in exploring the neuroscientific basis of psychiatric disorders, psychopharmacology, neuromodulation, and other psychiatric interventions, as well as discussions of pseudoscience, Bayesian reasoning, ethics, the history of psychiatry, and human psychology in general.This podcast is not medical advice.&nbsp; It strives to be science communication.&nbsp; Dr. O'Leary is a skeptical thinker who often questions what we think we know.&nbsp; He hopes to open more conversations about what we don't know we don't know.Find transcripts with show-notes and references on each episodes dedicated page at psydactic.buzzsprout.com.You can leave feedback at https://www.psydactic.com.The visual companions, when available, can be found at https://youtube.com/@PsyDactic.