The use of Electroplexy in Mental Disease with Clouding of Consciousness

Abstract

Clouding of consciousness is a common feature of organic psychoses. It may be of any degree of severity from acute delirium to some diminished capacity for clear thinking and impairment of retention for recent experiences. However, such a diminution in the level of awareness also occurs occasionally in “functional” mental disorders; severe and rapidly evolving attacks of mania or depression may be associated with some degree of clouding of consciousness, and Meduna in some recent papers (Meduna and McCulloch, 1945; Meduna, 1950) has redirected attention to “oneirophrenia,” an acute psychotic disorder originally described by Mayer-Gross (1924) in which clouding of consciousness is the general rule.