The Production of Delirium Acute Organic Brain Syndrome

The Production of Delirium (Acute Organic Brain Syndrome) 

After one or more shock treatments, ECT routinely produces delirium or an acute organic brain syndrome. Abrams (1988), although an advocate of the treatment, has himself observed that 

At times, patients are so organically impaired following ECT that they will sit around apathetically on the ward, unable to engage in any activities. On occasion, the patients neurological dilapidation from routine ECT will reduce them to lying in a fetal position for many hours. In malpractice suits in which I have been a medical expert for plaintiffs, 

Given that ECT routinely produces acute, marked brain dysfunction, there can be no real disagreement about its damaging effects. The only legitimate question is, How complete is recovery Even without all the confirmatory evidence presented in this chapter, basic neurology warns that it will frequently be incomplete. 

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