Books for Clinicians

by Charles H. Kellner
Handbook of ECT covers all aspects of contemporary electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) practice. This concise yet informed text provides medical practitioners with both the theoretical background and practical knowledge to guide them in the practice of ECT.
 
by Max Fink MD
Electroconvulsive therapy (E.C.T.), despite its controversial history, may well represent the only viable treatment for severe psychiatric illness in those for whom medication is not an option. In Electronconvulsive Therapy, Dr. Max Fink draws on over 50 years of clinical experience to describe this safe, painless, and often life-saving treatment. Extensively revised and restructured since its original publication a decade ago, the book provides readers with a detailed explanation of the E.C.T. procedure, helping them to better understand and prepare for treatment. Discussions of the mechanisms of actions have been updated and sections have been added on the use of E.C.T. in pediatric populations and to treat movement disorders such as Parkinsons. Case studies of E.C.T. patients illustrate its often dramatic success in relieving depression, mania, catatonia, and psychosis.
Clarifying the many misconceptions surrounding the treatment, Dr. Fink reveals how anesthesia and muscle relaxation techniques reduce discomfort and risks to levels lower than those associated with psychiatric drugs. He then provides a historical perspective of the treatment, from the discovery of E.C.T. and its widespread use beginning in the 1930s, to the 1950s when it was replaced by psychotropic drugs, to its revival in the last 30 years as a viable psychiatric treatment. Dr. Fink concludes with a straightforward discussion of the ethical issues surrounding E.C.T. use, and on its similarities to and differences from other modern brain stimulation techniques.
The classNameic text on the subject, written by a renowned researcher and physician, Electroconvulsive Therapy is an excellent resource for patients, their families, and mental health professionals.
by Mehul V. Mankad, John L. Beyer, Richard D. Weiner and Andrew Krystal
The authors of Clinical Manual of Electroconvulsive Therapy offer this volume to help psychiatrists successfully incorporate electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) into their clinical practices. ECT remains the definitive treatment for a variety of mental disorders because it is often effective when other treatments fail. The book updates the 1985 original and 1998 second edition of Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Programmed Text, and provides readers with a scheduled approach to understanding the fundamental concepts of ECT while offering practical guidance for establishing and maintaining an ECT program. Included are detailed descriptions of recent advances that have made this very effective treatment much safer and more acceptable to patients. Currently, it is estimated that more than 100,000 people receive ECT treatments each year in the U.S. Indications for use of ECT are for mood disorders such as major depressive disorder and mania, and for thought disorders including schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Indications for use in other psychiatric disorders and general medical disorders are reviewed as well. Patient information sheets and a written consent form are also provided.
by APA, C. Edward Coffey and Richard D. Weiner
Since the development of pharmacoconvulsive therapy in 1934 and of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in 1938, ECT has proven far more valuable than just the intervention of last resort. In comparison with psychotropic medications, we now know that ECT can act more effectively and more rapidly, with substantial clinical improvement that is often seen after only a few treatments. This is especially true for severely ill patientsAthose with severe major depression with psychotic features, acute mania with psychotic features, or catatonia. For patients who are physically debilitated, elderly, or pregnant, ECT is also safer than psychotropic medications. The findings of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Task Force on ECT were published by the APA in 1990 as the first edition of The Practice of Electroconvulsive Therapy, inaugurating the development of ECT guidelines by groups both within the United States and internationally. Since then, advances in the use of this technically demanding treatment prompted the APA to mandate a second edition. The updated format of this second edition presents background information followed by a summary of applicable recommendations for each chapter. This close integration of the recommendations with their justifications makes the material easy to read, understand, and use. To further enhance usability, recommendations critical to the safe, effective delivery of treatment are marked with the designation AshouldA to distinguish them from recommendations that are advisable but nonessential (with the designations Aencouraged,A Asuggested,A AconsideredA). The updated content of this second edition, which spans indication for use of ECT, patient evaluation, side effects, concurrent medications, consent procedures (with sample consent forms and patient information booklet), staffing, treatment administration, monitoring of outcome, management of patients following ECT, and documentation, as well as education, and clinical privileging. This volume reflects not only the wide expertise of its contributors, but also involved solicitation of input from a variety of other sources, including applicable medical professional organizations, individual experts in relevant fields, regulatory bodies, and major lay mental health organizations. In addition, the bibliography of this second edition is based upon an exhaustive search of the clinical ECT literature over the past decade and contains more than four times the original number of citations. Complemented by extensive annotations and useful appendixes, this remarkably comprehensive yet practical overview will prove an invaluable resource for practitioners and trainees in psychiatry and related disciplines.
by Richard Abrams
In this fully-revised fourth edition of what has long been the standard textbook for the field, Dr. Richard Abrams once again demonstrates his unique ability to analyze and present a wealth of new(and often technical) material in a lucid, compelling, and highly readable fashion. Hundreds of new clinical studies called from the more than 1500 published since the third edition appeared have been analyzed in depth and incorporated throughout the book.
An important new chapter has been added on Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation(TMS) therapy, a treatment for depression that is widely-used in Europe and expected to become available soon for clinical use in the United States. Dr. Abrams exposes the scientific flaws in several widely-cited reports, while focusing on the few carefully-controlled studies that provide solid support for the results claimed.
The sections on the electrical stimulus, seizing introduction, seizure quality, and treatment electrode placement have been completely revised and updated with new information on those clinical and technical issues that are presently of greatest concern to practitioners and researchers. A comprehensive critical assessment of the nature of the seizure threshold and the validity of the stimulus titration method for ECT dosing is presented for the first time, with conclusions and recommendations that many will find surprising.
The continued controversy over the relative efficacies of unilateral and bitemporal ECT is revisited in light of the latest dosing strategies and treatment outcomes reported, and of the latest results obtained with bifrontal ECT. The potential clinical and theoretical advantages of the recently-rediscovered technique of ultrabrief pulse therapy are explained in detail. The chapter on the memory and cognitive consequences of ECT has been expanded to focus on the subjective memory effects of treatment, with new analysis of the possible biological basis for the improvement in subjective memory so often reported. Recently-published claims of persistent or permanent memory effects of ECT are refuted in detail.
In full accordance with the American Psychiatric Association's new guidelines for the practice of ECT, Dr. Abrams' book remains the essential practical guide and reference work for all those who prescribe, perform, or assist with ECT, or are interested in learning more about the subject.
by Conrad M. Swartz MD
Electroconvlusive therapy (ECT) is a psychiatric treatment involving the induction of a seizure through the transmission of electricity into the brain. In the early eighties, ECT was replaced by far more effective psychopharmacologic medications as a primary treatment modality. Much of the decline in use of ECT at that time was also ascribable to the number of complications associated with the technique. Because of recent refinements and a far better understanding of the scientific mechanisms underpinning ECT, this treatment modality has lately seen a resurgence in use in clinical practice. This book is the new definitive reference on electroconvulsive and neuromodulation therapy. It comprehensively covers both the scientific basis and clinical practice of ECT, as well as providing readers with administrative perspectives for the training and management of this modality in clinical practice. The newer forms of non-convulsive electrical and magnetic brain stimulation therapy are also covered in detail and presented as a separate section.
by Jan-Otto Ottosson and Max Fink
Few mental illness treatments are more reviled in the public mind than Electroconvulsive Shock Therapy. However, in reality, ECT is a safe and effective treatment for cases of clinical depression and catatonia that are unresponsive to drug therapy. Also, unlike drugs, ECT has relatively few side effects. The authors argue that it is time for this historically stigmatized procedure to be reevaluated.
The authors make a strong case for greater professional and public attention to the procedure's benefits, offering historical coverage of ECT-related movements, legislation, public and practitioner sentiment and the introduction of competing treatments. This volume will not only garner the interest of mental health professionals, but will call on policy makers and ethicists to examine its arguments.
by Charles Kellner, John Pritchett, Mark D. Beale, C. Edward Coffey
This handbook is a reference for experienced practitioners and a guidebook to residents who are learning ECT procedure. The authors provide an overview of all aspects of ECT delivery, including patient selection, treatment techniques, and patient aftercare, and describe the most recent technical advances. Developed as a complement to the "APA Task Force Report on the Practice of Electroconvulsive Therapy" the handbook should enable clinicians to perform ECT according to the Task Force's standards and help them make informed referrals to ECT practitioners.
by Jonathan Waite, Andrew Easton
Presents the latest clinical guidelines on the prescription and practical administration of the treatment electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
It clarifies the place of ECT in contemporary practice and reviews the evidence for its efficacy.
New edition is substantially revised, to take account of new research and NICE guidelines.
New chapters on the mode of action of ECT, cognitive adverse effects, dental effects, other brain stimulation techniques and patient and carer perspectives. Includes chapters on recent changes in mental health legislation and issues of capacity and consent.
Previous editions have sold over 4700 copies.
by Edmund S. Higgins and Mark S. George
Brain stimulation the field of focally applying electricity to the brain is a rapidly growing and promising world of techniques that are effective in treating conditions ranging from Parkinson s disease to depression. Comprehensively surveying the state of current practice, Brain Stimulation Therapies for Clinicians provides a clear and straightforward analysis of its many therapeutic applications and the technologies and techniques involved in each. Beginning with a quick, accessible overview of electricity and its effect on the brain, Brain Stimulation Therapies for Clinicians covers the range of electrical stimulation therapies, including electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), deep brain stimulation (DBS), and a host of other clinical applications. Each chapter explores a particular therapy, including its history, the techniques involved, clinical indications, side effects, and a critical review of the literature surrounding its efficacy. Clear illustrations and a helpful glossary are provided to assist and orient the clinician. Written by a pioneer in the field and a cutting-edge clinical practitioner, Brain Stimulation Therapies for Clinicians is an essential reference for any clinician wanting to understand electrical stimulation therapies.
by Charles H. Kellner
The field of brain stimulation is advancing at rapid pace with a growing number of techniques now approved for the treatment of psychiatric illness. This text acts both as a concise, quick reference for experienced practitioners and a guidebook for residents learning about clinical brain stimulation techniques. The techniques covered include: • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) • Deep brain stimulation (DBS) • Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) • Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) • Magnetic seizure therapy (MST) • Transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) All aspects of these treatments are covered, from patient selection, through the implementation of the technique, to patient aftercare. Potential future applications are discussed and select, up-to-date reference lists guide practitioners to the most important further reading around each technique. Portable, concise and easy to navigate, covering all the need-to-know information, Brain Stimulation in Psychiatry is essential reading for practitioners, residents and medical students in psychiatry and neurology.