Petit Mal-Grand Mal ECT: A Method to Induce Seizures Without Barbiturate Anesthesia.

Petit mal-grand mal (PM-GM) electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a technique developed by Impastato to elicit unconsciousness with a subconvulsive electrical stimulus, rather than with barbiturate anesthesia. Muscle relaxation is produced with succinylcholine chloride before stimulus is applied. The cases reported here illustrate applications of the technique to depressed patients with severe cardiac and pulmonary disease, and the use of PM-GM ECT in a patient in whom seizures could not be elicited by the usual ECT technique is described.

Anesthesiologic considerations in psychiatric convulsive therapy.

The authors, drawing from their very large experience, describe technics of administering anesthesia and muscle-relaxing agents for convulsive therapy. After a brief historical review, they mention in detail the materials used and the set up for this modified electroconvulsive treatment. They describe the signs of amnesia and those of muscular relaxation in order to administer a modified electroconvulsive treatment properly.