Crossing and Uncrossing the Wires

Our big beautiful brains are constructed of 100 billion little cells called neurons. Neurons are the vessels that transmit messages all across the brain. Neuron to neuron communication gives rise to consciousness, motor movement, sensation and perception, language, art, organ functions, and life in general. Our bodies are the orchestra and our brains are the conductor.

When I say "neuron communication" what I am referring to are neurotransmitters. These are specific chemicals each with unique properties. The combination of different neurotransmitters compose the messages. Neurons send signals to one another to trigger a cascade of messages to be passed along to other neurons. Put simply, this is brain activity.

This shows a type of brain imaging called "Diffusion Tensor Imaging". Looking at the brain to the side we are looking at the neuronal highways of the brain. These are the connections. Check out this site for more detail on DTI.  http://www.mayfieldclinic.com/PE-fMRI_DTI.htm


So how do these neuronal signals get sent? When a neuron receives a chemical message from another neuron via neurotransmitters it deciphers that message and formulates a response. Once the new message is ready to pass on to the next neuron in line the chemical signals (neurotransmitters) are converted into an electrical impulse. The electrical impulse carries the new message down the neuron where it is converted back to a chemical signal that can be shared with the next neuron. It all seems rather complex and it is. But this biological design is what makes our brains so efficient. Neurons can transmit signals up to 250 mph. The speed of processing in your brain is beyond comprehension.

Check out this site for more detail on how electricity runs our body: http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/nervous-system/human-body-make-electricity.htm


This was a brief intro to provide some background for understanding how ECT works. ECT uses electricity because electrical current is part of the mechanism our neurons use to communicate, it's like fuel. When someone has a seizure it is because electrical activity in the brain goes haywire. There are countless reasons for this to happen that we don't come close to understanding. In the case of ECT, seizures have been harnessed for their positive effects noticed for mood over history. Now, even though there are several theories about how and why ECT is effective for mood it is still a mystery. But we're always getting closer.