The brain is the source of thought and emotion. When things go wrong, the results are devastating for patients and their families. Here, a Harvard psychiatrist answers your questions. LOS ANGELES, CALIF.: What is the role of noninvasive brain stimulation (such as electroconvulsive therapy and rTMS) in the treatment of psychiatric disorders? How do they work? Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) are both effective treatments for serious depressive disorders; they may have uses for other psychiatric disorders as well, but this is less clear. We do not fully understand how these treatments work, but we know they alter brain chemistry and restore normal balance among brain neurotransmitters. ECT is particularly helpful for the most severe depressions that do not respond to medications. Both treatments are modern and safe; the days of the "Cuckoo's Nest" type of treatment are long past, and ECT is not used as a punishment or to control behavior.
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