[meowface]

I have no doubt ECT is very beneficial for many people with refractory depression, but I suspect the memory loss may be correlation and not causation.

I think the memory loss might be unnecessary collateral damage, perhaps due to a lack of precision, and future ECT advances may reduce the memory loss while retaining the antidepressant effects. I'm also not aware of any research indicating that the antidepressant effects of cannabis or NMDA antagonists like ketamine are connected to memory. But I'm definitely no expert in either field.