Clinical Neuroscience of ECT (CNECT)

 Out on PubMed, from authors in Maryland and California, is this case report: New Focal Epileptogenesis Following  Electroconvulsive   Therapy: A Case Report and Literature Review. Kim A, Micci L, Micci T, Lee AM. Mil Med. 2025 Apr 1:usaf106. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usaf106. Online ahead of print. PMID:  40173024 The abstract is copied below: In this case report, a patient developed new focal epileptiform discharges following electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). No current evidence to date has established an increased risk of epilepsy following ECT, raising the question of ECT potentially triggering focal epileptogenesis. To address this question, literature findings from epidemiologic studies to isolated case reports were compiled from PubMed with an emphasis on patient risk factors, number of treatments, and described electroencephalographic patterns and seizure semiology post-ECT. The relationship between ECT and new-onset epilepsy remains controversial based on these fi...

Out on PubMed, from an author in Pennsylvania, is this article: Pendulums in medical practice. Kant ME. Med Leg J. 2025 Mar 27:258172241304558. doi: 10.1177/00258172241304558. Online ahead of print. PMID:  40145410 The abstract is copied below: Medicine is taught as a science, but in reality, as with other areas that undergo much public scrutiny, it is often more of an art than a science. Particularly when dealing with controversial areas, physicians often attempt to employ the "standard of care" as a guide to practising medicine, and to protect themselves. However, the standard of care itself is often a reactive and temporary construct. A number of practices serve as good examples of accepted patient care that has swung completely from one extreme to another. The history of opiate prescribing in this country exemplifies a complete swing in practice fundamentals among US physicians, where opiates have been repeatedly embraced, and then vilified. Numerous other practices demon...

Out on PubMed, from authors in Spain, is this paper: Using   Electroconvulsive   Therapy (ECT) in emergency clinical situations against patient's autonomy: A case study analysis. Payán Ellacuria E, Astobiza AM. Bioethics. 2025 Mar 24. doi: 10.1111/bioe.13413. Online ahead of print. PMID:  40123549 The abstract is copied below: In this paper, we present a comprehensive case study analysis of a specific legal order issued by the Court of First Instance Number 6 of Santiago de Compostela on March 21, 2023. The focal point of the case study is the utilization of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), a specific neurotechnology, in an emergency clinical situation. The objective of this article is to examine the legal and bioethical dimensions surrounding the use of ECT, shedding light on the ethical implications and decision-making processes involved in such cases. The analysis delves into the legal aspects of the case, considering relevant laws and regulations governing the use of...