Electrical membrane breakdown: a possible mediator of the actions of electroconvulsive therapy.

The voltage across electrodes during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is two or three orders of magnitude greater than the membrane potential levels at which electrical breakdown occurs. This paper attempts to relate the interelectrode voltage to the membrane potential of individual neurones. For certain neurones the calculated values exceed the breakdown level. The study indicates that electrical breakdown does take place during ECT. It is suggested that electrical breakdown could explain some effects and side-effects of ECT.