Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) services
Electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, can be used to treat patients with severe or difficult-to-treat mental and behavioral health conditions.
During the treatment, mild electric currents pass through a patient’s brain while being administered in a controlled medical setting and while the patient under general anesthesia. For many patients, ECT offers the chance to quickly and effectively reverse the symptoms of some mental illnesses.
What you should know about ECT
- Our specialists offer advanced ECT treatment, in which mild electric currents pass through the brain with a goal of changing the brain’s chemistry. These changes can significantly improve certain mental and behavioral health conditions with few side effects.
- If a psychiatrist recommends ECT, our specialists will administer the treatment in a controlled medical setting while the patient is under general anesthesia.
- ECT treatment usually involves six to 12 sessions spread out over several weeks.
- Our specialists can also develop a personalized ECT maintenance plan.
- We offer inpatient and outpatient ECT treatment.
Treats these conditions
We offer ECT for both inpatients and outpatients who have the following conditions:
- Severe depression
- Mania
- Severe agitation/aggression in dementia patients
- Catatonia
- Schizophrenia
Specialties and institutes
Connect with other specialties at Geisinger to learn more about these treatments.
- Psychiatry and behavioral health
- Neurology and neurosurgery