Patient viewpoint: The case for exploring non-seizure alternatives to ECT

Int J Risk Saf Med. 2025 Sep 5:9246479251377340. doi: 10.1177/09246479251377340. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This patient commentary addresses the absence of rigorous placebo- or sham-controlled trials for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and discusses whether its therapeutic effects are partly attributable to non-seizure components like anesthesia and subthreshold electrical stimulation. It proposes noninferiority trials comparing ECT and non-ictal treatments such as subconvulsive electrotherapies and psychotherapeutic anesthesia to investigate these components and evaluate potential alternatives with lesser adverse effects.

PMID:40913290 | DOI:10.1177/09246479251377340