metrazol shock treatment
Definition
Noun: - A historical psychiatric treatment: This term refers to a medical procedure in which a sufficient dose of the drug Metrazol (pentylenetetrazol) is administered to a patient to intentionally induce violent convulsions and a brief coma. It was used primarily in the mid-20th century as a form of shock therapy for severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia and major depression.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Metrazol shock treatment was considered a drastic but sometimes effective intervention for catatonic states.
- The severe and dangerous side effects led to the abandonment of metrazol shock treatment in favor of electroconvulsive therapy.
Advanced Usage
- Historical/Medical Context: The term is almost exclusively used in historical discussions of psychiatry to describe an obsolete and controversial treatment method. It is often cited to illustrate the evolution of somatic therapies.
- The chapter on the history of psychiatry detailed the risks associated with metrazol shock treatment.
Variants and Related Words
- Metrazol shock therapy: A synonymous term for the same procedure.
- Chemical convulsive therapy: A broader category that includes treatments using drugs like Metrazol or insulin to induce seizures.
- Insulin shock therapy: A related, contemporaneous treatment using insulin to induce a coma.
- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): A later and still-used treatment that induces seizures with electrical currents, developed partly to replace drug-induced convulsive therapies.
Synonyms
- Convulsive therapy (specifically chemical-induced)
- Pentylenetetrazol shock treatment
Notes on Meaning
This term has only one specific meaning, referring to the aforementioned historical medical procedure. It is not used in contemporary medical practice and carries connotations of a primitive, often frightening, phase in psychiatric treatment.
Noun
-
the administration of sufficient Metrazol to induce convulsions and coma
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