Two decades of an indigenously developed brief-pulse electroconvulsive therapy device: A review of research work from National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences

In 1993, a device to administer brief-pulse electroconvulsive therapy was indigenously developed through collaboration between the National Institution for Quality and Reliability and the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. The additional feature of computerized recording of the electroencephalograph and electrocardiograph for both online and offline use had substantial clinical and research implications. Over the past two decades, this device has been used extensively in different academic and nonacademic settings. A considerable body of research with clinical and heuristic interest has also emanated using this device. In this paper, we present the development of this device and follow it up with a review of research conducted at NIMHANS that validate the features and potentials of this device.