Electronarcosis, also called electric stunning or electrostunning, is a profound

stupor Stupor is the lack of critical mental function and a level of consciousness, in which an affected person is almost entirely unresponsive and responds only to intense stimuli such as pain. The word derives from the Latin '' stupor'' ("numbness, inse ...

produced by passing an electric current through the brain. Electronarcosis may be used as a form of electrotherapy in treating certain mental illnesses in humans, or may be used to render livestock unconscious prior to slaughter.

History

In 1902, Stephen Leduc discovered he could produce a narcotic-like state in animals, and eventually he tried it on himself, where he remained conscious, but unable to move in a dream-like state. In 1951, an American psychiatrist

Hervey M. Cleckley Hervey Milton Cleckley (September 7, 1903 – January 28, 1984) was an American psychiatrist and pioneer in the field of psychopathy. His book, ''The Mask of Sanity,'' originally published in 1941 and revised in new editions until the 1980s, ...

published a paper on the results of treating 110 patients having anxiety neuroses with electronarcosis therapy. He argued that patients may benefit from electronarcosis after other treatments have failed. A 1974 paper discussed the advantage of using electronarcosis for short term general anesthesia. Researchers achieved electronarcosis by applying 180 mA at a frequency of 500 Hertz to the

mastoid part of the temporal bone The mastoid part of the temporal bone is the posterior (back) part of the temporal bone, one of the bones of the skull. Its rough surface gives attachment to various muscles (via tendons) and it has openings for blood vessels. From its borders, ...

Phases

Electronarcosis results in a conditions similar to an epileptic seizure, with the three phases called ''tonic'', ''clonic'', and ''recovery''. During the tonic phase the patient or animal collapses and becomes rigid. During clonic muscles relax and some movement occurs. During recovery the patient or animal becomes aware.

Livestock

Electronarcosis is one of the methods used to render animals unconscious before slaughter and unable to feel pain. Electronarcosis may be followed immediately by

electrocution Electrocution is death or severe injury caused by electric shock from electric current passing through the body. The word is derived from "electro" and "execution", but it is also used for accidental death. The term "electrocution" was coined ...

or by bleeding. Modern electronarcosis is typically performed by applying 200 volts of high frequency alternating current of about 1500 hertz for 3 seconds to the animal's head. High frequency current is alleged to not be felt as an electric shock or cause skeletal muscle contractions. A wet animal will pass a current of over an

ampere The ampere (, ; symbol: A), often shortened to amp,SI supports only the use of symbols and deprecates the use of abbreviations for units. is the unit of electric current in the International System of Units (SI). One ampere is equal to elect ...

. If electronarcosis is not followed by other procedures, the animal will usually recover. Studies have been used to determine optimal parameters for effective electronarcosis.

References

Electrotherapy Neuroscience Physical psychiatric treatments Treatment of depression Analgesics Animal killing {{neuroscience-stub

History

Phases

Livestock

See also

References