Insulin shock therapy
Insulin Shock Therapy
Insulin shock therapy or insulin coma therapy (ICT) is a form of psychiatric treatment in which patients are repeatedly injected with large doses of insulin in order to produce daily comas over several weeks. It was introduced in 1927 by Austrian-American psychiatrist Manfred Sakel and used extensively in the 1940s and 1950s, mainly for schizophrenia, before falling out of favor and being replaced by neuroleptic drugs in the 1960s.
Pronunciation
- Insulin: /ˈɪnsʊlɪn/
- Shock: /ʃɒk/
- Therapy: /ˈθɛrəpi/
Etymology
The term "insulin" comes from the Latin insula, meaning "island", referring to the insulin-producing islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. "Shock" in this context refers to the physiological response to severe hypoglycemia induced by the insulin. "Therapy" comes from the Greek therapeia, meaning "healing".
Procedure
The procedure typically involved injecting patients with up to 150 units of insulin per day, causing them to lapse into a coma. This would be followed by a period of glucose administration to reverse the coma. The process was repeated daily for up to two months.
Related Terms
- Schizophrenia: A mental disorder characterized by abnormal behavior, strange speech, and a decreased ability to understand reality.
- Hypoglycemia: A condition caused by a very low level of blood sugar (glucose), your body's main energy source.
- Manfred Sakel: An Austrian-American psychiatrist who introduced insulin shock therapy.
- Glucose: A simple sugar that is an important energy source in living organisms and is a component of many carbohydrates.
Criticism and Decline
Insulin shock therapy was criticized for its high mortality rate and severe side effects, including brain damage. It was largely replaced by neuroleptic drugs in the 1960s, which were seen as more effective and less dangerous.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Insulin shock therapy
- Wikipedia's article - Insulin shock therapy
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