Cortisol Level as a Predictor for Cognitive Impairment Induced by Brain Synchronization Therapy in Patients with Severe Depression

Abstract

Summary E lectroconvulsivetherapy(ECT)hasbeendemonstratedtobeaneffectiveandsafetreatmentformanypsychiatricdisorders.TheuseofECTstillgeneratessignificantcontroversy.ECThasbeenviewedasharmfulbythegeneralpublic,psychiatricpatients,andmentalhealthprofessionals(Ross,2006). Thetreatment(ECT)shouldbegivenanewnamethatdescribeswhatisdoneinneutral,"unloaded"language.Wordslike"shock","seizure"and"convulsive"shouldbeeliminated.Severalproposedtermssuchas"cerebroversion",analogouswith"cardioversion",or"CentralStimulation"or"CentralStimulationwithPatternedResponse”(CSPR),or"BrainSynchronizationTherapy"(BST),or"BrainStimulationTherapy",or"RhythmRestorationTherapy"mightbeeffectiveinalteringnegativeperceptionsofECTarisingfromsemantics(Rakhawy,1998). BrainSynchronizationtherapy(BST)referstothemosteffectiveandrapidlyactingtreatmentthatwehavetodayforseveredepressionandotherconditions(LisanbyH.S.,MD,2012) AkeyriskassociatedwithBSTuseiscognitiveandmemorydysfunction.TheFDAreviewfoundthatECTislikelyassociatedwithimmediategeneralcognitiveandmemorydysfunction.Cognitivedysfunctionisrepresentedbydisorientation.Disorientationappearstobetransientandgenerallyresolvesinamatterofminutesaftertheprocedure(LawrencePark, 2011).