Journal Article

FZJ-2015-05281

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Are morphological changes necessary to mediate the therapeutic effects of electroconvulsive therapy?

Nickl-Jockschat, T. (Corresponding author) ; Palomero-Gallagher, N.FZJ* ; Kumar, V. ; Hoffstaedter, F.FZJ* ; Brügmann, E. ; Habel, U. ; Eickhoff, S.FZJ* ; Grözinger, M.

2016
Steinkopff Darmstadt

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1007/s00406-015-0631-z

Abstract: The neurotrophic hypothesis has become the favorite model to explain the antidepressant properties of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). It is based on the assumption that a restoration of previously defective neural networks drives therapeutic effects. Recent data in rather young patients suggest that neurotrophic effects of ECT might be detectable by diffusion tensor imaging. We here aimed to investigate whether the therapeutic response to ECT necessarily goes along with mesoscopic effects in gray matter (GM) or white matter (WM) in our patients in advanced age. Patients (n = 21, 15 males and 7 females) suffering from major depressive disorder were treated with ECT. Before the start of treatment and after the completion of the index series, they underwent magnetic resonance imaging, including a diffusion-weighed sequence. We used voxel-based morphometry to assess GM changes and tract-based spatial statistics and an SPM-based whole-brain analysis to detect WM changes in the course of treatment. Patients significantly improved clinically during the course of ECT. This was, however, not accompanied by GM or WM changes. This result challenges the notion that mesoscopic brain structure changes are an obligatory prerequisite for the antidepressant effects of ECT.

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Strukturelle und funktionelle Organisation des Gehirns (INM-1)
2. JARA-BRAIN (JARA-BRAIN)

Research Program(s):

1. 571 - Connectivity and Activity (POF3-571) (POF3-571)

Appears in the scientific report 2016

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Database coverage:
; Current Contents - Clinical Medicine ; Current Contents - Life Sciences ; IF < 5 ; JCR ; NCBI Molecular Biology Database ; No Authors Fulltext ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Thomson Reuters Master Journal List ; Web of Science Core Collection

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