full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Helen M. Farrell: The truth about electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

Unscramble the Blue Letters


Modern ECT is much safer than it used to be, but patients can still experience side effects. They may feel achy, fatigued, or nauseated right after treatment. Some have tlurobe remembering what heppaned right before a session— for example, what they had for dinner the previous evening. Rarely, they might have trouble remembering up to weeks and months before. For most petaitns, this mremoy loss does improve over time.

What's fascinating is that despite its proven track record, we still don't know exactly why ECT works. Neurons in the brain communicate via electrical sailngs, which influence our brain chemistry, contributing to mood and behavior. The flood of etcicrelal activity sparked by ECT alters that chemistry. For example, ECT tgrreigs the release of certain neurotransmitters, molecules that help carry signals between neurons and influence mental health. ECT also stimulates the flow of hrmnoeos that may help reduce stmompys of dospseiern. Interestingly, ECT mncnentaaie works better when peraid with medication, even in patients who were resistant to medication before. As we come to a better understanding of the brain, we’ll likely be able to make ECT even more effective.

Open Cloze


Modern ECT is much safer than it used to be, but patients can still experience side effects. They may feel achy, fatigued, or nauseated right after treatment. Some have _______ remembering what ________ right before a session— for example, what they had for dinner the previous evening. Rarely, they might have trouble remembering up to weeks and months before. For most ________, this ______ loss does improve over time.

What's fascinating is that despite its proven track record, we still don't know exactly why ECT works. Neurons in the brain communicate via electrical _______, which influence our brain chemistry, contributing to mood and behavior. The flood of __________ activity sparked by ECT alters that chemistry. For example, ECT ________ the release of certain neurotransmitters, molecules that help carry signals between neurons and influence mental health. ECT also stimulates the flow of ________ that may help reduce ________ of __________. Interestingly, ECT ___________ works better when ______ with medication, even in patients who were resistant to medication before. As we come to a better understanding of the brain, we’ll likely be able to make ECT even more effective.

Solution


  1. hormones
  2. trouble
  3. depression
  4. memory
  5. maintenance
  6. triggers
  7. signals
  8. paired
  9. electrical
  10. happened
  11. patients
  12. symptoms

Original Text


Modern ECT is much safer than it used to be, but patients can still experience side effects. They may feel achy, fatigued, or nauseated right after treatment. Some have trouble remembering what happened right before a session— for example, what they had for dinner the previous evening. Rarely, they might have trouble remembering up to weeks and months before. For most patients, this memory loss does improve over time.

What's fascinating is that despite its proven track record, we still don't know exactly why ECT works. Neurons in the brain communicate via electrical signals, which influence our brain chemistry, contributing to mood and behavior. The flood of electrical activity sparked by ECT alters that chemistry. For example, ECT triggers the release of certain neurotransmitters, molecules that help carry signals between neurons and influence mental health. ECT also stimulates the flow of hormones that may help reduce symptoms of depression. Interestingly, ECT maintenance works better when paired with medication, even in patients who were resistant to medication before. As we come to a better understanding of the brain, we’ll likely be able to make ECT even more effective.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
life changing 2
modern ect 2
trouble remembering 2


Important Words


  1. achy
  2. activity
  3. alters
  4. behavior
  5. brain
  6. carry
  7. chemistry
  8. communicate
  9. contributing
  10. depression
  11. dinner
  12. ect
  13. effective
  14. effects
  15. electrical
  16. evening
  17. experience
  18. fascinating
  19. fatigued
  20. feel
  21. flood
  22. flow
  23. happened
  24. health
  25. hormones
  26. improve
  27. influence
  28. interestingly
  29. loss
  30. maintenance
  31. medication
  32. memory
  33. mental
  34. modern
  35. molecules
  36. months
  37. mood
  38. nauseated
  39. neurons
  40. neurotransmitters
  41. paired
  42. patients
  43. previous
  44. proven
  45. rarely
  46. record
  47. reduce
  48. release
  49. remembering
  50. resistant
  51. safer
  52. side
  53. signals
  54. sparked
  55. stimulates
  56. symptoms
  57. time
  58. track
  59. treatment
  60. triggers
  61. trouble
  62. understanding
  63. weeks
  64. works