The Historical Struggles of Modified Electroconvulsive Therapy: How Anesthesia Came to the Rescue.

The complicated history of modified electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) started back before anesthesia was incorporated when unmodified electroconvulsive therapy was not considered humane. When anesthesiologists started working with psychiatrists, ECT gradually regained acceptance by decreasing the obstacles inherent to this therapy despite the complexities of the anesthetics. However, the sociopolitical and medicolegal factors negatively impacted the use of modified ECT leading to a period of time when it was banned from use in the United States.

Improving Health Care for Veterans With Gulf War Illness.

Physicians need to recognize and manage Gulf War illness and similar postdeployment, chronic, multisymptom diseases among veterans of recent military operations.