>Does anyone know if the efficacy of ECT for the treatment of depression
>has ever been tested with a placebo control group? I don't know how one
>would perform such a test; but I do know that there are many people out
>there who are much smarter than I. Some such person might have designed
>a valid placebo for this treatment.
>
>Jeff
>
>--
>Jeffry P. Ricker, Ph.D. Office Phone: (480) 423-6213
>9000 E. Chaparral Rd. FAX Number: (480) 423-6298
>Psychology Department [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Scottsdale Community College
>Scottsdale, AZ 85256-2626
>
>"The truth is rare and never simple."
> Oscar Wilde
>
>"[T]he more outrageous the myth, the more likely [it] is...that
>large numbers of people will cleave to it."
> Paul Kurtz
Jeff,
I don't know about such a placebo, but I am about to pass on an
anecdote (second hand at that) which I think is related. Twenty
years ago a psychologist who worked at a local mental health facility
described to me an incident which he says occurred when he worked in
England. It seems that a 14-year old boy was undergoing a series of
ECS treatments and on one particular day had been prepped completely,
the only step left being the delivery of the shock. The treatment team
was suddenly interrupted by a nurse who entered the room with an urgent
message. Seconds later they were astounded to see that the boy was
showing seizure activity. The psychologist who told me this story
firmly believed that they had classically conditioned the seizure, and
he speculated about the possibility of obtaining beneficial treatment
effects without always employing the shock (the UCS).
Now, I didn't really know this fellow very well, and he had a couple of
other interesting things to tell me, so I can't vouch for his credibility.
I remember looking briefly for references to such things in the literature
many years ago without success, but I haven't even thought of the story
for many years now, and I haven't tried a computer search. I may do so
when I get a little time, but in the mean time, has anyone ever heard of
such a thing?
Tim
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Tim Gaines [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Professor of Psychology phone: 864-833-8349
Presbyterian College fax: 864-833-8481
Clinton, SC 29325
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