[Anesthesia for electroconvulsive therapy].

Electroconvulsive therapy is a well-established form of treatment for a broad spectrum of severe psychiatric disorders. The treatment, in which a generalized epileptic seizure is provoked by electrical stimulation of the brain, is performed with the patient under anesthesia and muscle relaxation. Therefore, sufficient knowledge of the physiological and pharmacological characteristics is an essential requirement for safe anesthesia. The following review is intended to provide some new aspects of the procedure and management of anesthesia.