http://exhibits.library.stonybrook.edu/mfp/files/original/5a628705c7ab5f887f4f2f6203f18171.pdf 1a2060ee4789a32280673bdb05e07f81 PDF Text Text July 14, 1992 William T. Donner, M.D. Abington Memorial Hospital Abington, PA 19001 Dear Dr. Donner, The concern with ’informed consent’ for ECT was first reviewed by the the 1978 Task Force report. It was reviewed again in its 1990 report. in both, a balance between the facts as known and the mis-perceptions of the public were considered. Memory complaints are mostly reported by patients who have not improved with treatment. Objective evidence of memory impairment is rare, especially in the past decade with the introduction of the routine use of continuous ventilation with oxygen, brief pulse currents, graded electrical dosing, selective electrode placement, variations in frequency of treatments, and duration of course. We have also come to realize that the usual associated treatments, like lithium, benzodiazepines, and tricyclic antidepressants, which are often used as continuation treatments, do themselves impair cognition and memory functions. APA in The best documentation of the present state of knowledge on long term effects of ECT is found in the 1990 APA Task Force report, and in the second edition of E/ectroconvu/sive Therapy by Richard Abrams (Oxford University Press, New York, 1992). The older experience is best summarized in Convu/s/ve Therapy: Theory and Practice which wrote (Raven Press, New York, 1979) and the first APA Task Force report (#14, APA, Washington, DC, 1978). Each publication contains a useful model consent form. I Much of the concern with memory effects of ECT is sustained in the public by the hysteria of the Church of Scientology. Present concerns are not with the form, but with the consent process. Many clinicians now use a videotape describing the ECT procedure to educate the patients and their family. Commercial videotapes are available from Somatlcs and from MECTA, the principal manufacturers of modern brief pulse ECT devices. published A lengthy consideration of competency to in Convu/sive Therapy (8292-102, 1992). consent was recently Sincerely yours, Max Fink, MD. Editor � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Correspondence Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Correspondence to: Donner, William T. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context mfp-05-00-033-2-047 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1992 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource <a title="Fink, Max, 1923-" href="http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n79039548" target="_blank">Fink, Max, 1923-</a> Subject The topic of the resource Correspondence -- Correspondence Relation A related resource The Max Fink Collection Description An account of the resource Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a title="IN COPYRIGHT - EDUCATIONAL USE PERMITTED" href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/" target="_blank">IN COPYRIGHT - EDUCATIONAL USE PERMITTED</a> Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries. Stony Brook University Libraries (State University of New York). Language A language of the resource en-US Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Correspondence