scholarly journals Systematic Review of the Neural Effect of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Patients with Schizophrenia: Hippocampus and Insula as the Key Regions of Modulation

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 486-499
Author(s):  
Sun-Young Moon ◽  
Minah Kim ◽  
Silvia Kyungjin Lho ◽  
Sanghoon Oh ◽  
Se Hyun Kim ◽  
...  

Objective Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been the most potent treatment option for treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). However, the underlying neural mechanisms of ECT in schizophrenia remain largely unclear. This paper examines studies that investigated structural and functional changes after ECT in patients with schizophrenia. Methods We carried out a systematic review with following terms: ‘ECT’, ‘schizophrenia’, and the terms of various neuroimaging modalities. Results Among the 325 records available from the initial search in May 2020, 17 studies were included. Cerebral blood flow in the frontal, temporal, and striatal structures was shown to be modulated (n=3), although the results were divergent. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies suggested that the ratio of N-acetyl-aspartate/creatinine was increased in the left prefrontal cortex (PFC; n=2) and left thalamus (n=1). The hippocampus and insula (n=6, respectively) were the most common regions of structural/functional modulation, which also showed symptom associations. Functional connectivity of the default mode network (DMN; n=5), PFC (n=4), and thalamostriatal system (n=2) were also commonly modulated. Conclusion Despite proven effectiveness, there has been a dearth of studies investigating the neurobiological mechanisms underlying ECT. There is preliminary evidence of structural and functional modulation of the hippocampus and insula, functional changes in the DMN, PFC, and thalamostriatal system after ECT in patients with schizophrenia. We discuss the rationale and implications of these findings and the potential mechanism of action of ECT. More studies evaluating the mechanisms of ECT are needed, which could provide a unique window into what leads to treatment response in the otherwise refractory TRS population.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Jane Erchinger ◽  
Lars Ersland ◽  
Stein Magnus Aukland ◽  
Christopher C. Abbott ◽  
Leif Oltedal

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is considered to be the most effective acute treatment for otherwise treatment resistant major depressive episodes, and has been used for over 80 years. Still, the underlying mechanism of action is largely unknow. Several studies suggest that ECT affects the cerebral neurotransmitters, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) allows investigators to study neurotransmitters in vivo, and has been used to study neurochemical changes in the brain of patients treated with ECT. Several investigations have been performed on ECT-patients; however, no systematic review has yet summarized these findings. A systematic literature search based on the Prisma guidelines was performed. PubMed (Medline) was used in order to find investigations studying patients that had been treated with ECT and had undergone an MRS examination. A search in the databases Embase, PsycInfo, and Web of Science was also performed, leading to no additional records. A total of 30 records were identified and screened which resulted in 16 original investigations for review. The total number of patients that was included in these studies, ignoring potential overlap of samples in some investigations, was 325. The metabolites reported were N-acetyl aspartate, Choline, Myoinositol, Glutamate and Glutamine, GABA and Creatine. The strongest evidence for neurochemical change related to ECT, was found for N-acetyl aspartate (reduction), which is a marker of neuronal integrity. Increased choline and glutamate following treatment was also commonly reported.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1273
Author(s):  
Adriana Bassa ◽  
Teresa Sagués ◽  
Daniel Porta-Casteràs ◽  
Pilar Serra ◽  
Erika Martínez-Amorós ◽  
...  

Decades of research have consistently demonstrated the efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), but its clinical use remains somewhat restricted because of its cognitive side effects. The aim of this systematic review is to comprehensively summarize current evidence assessing potential biomarkers of ECT-related cognitive side effects. Based on our systematic search of human studies indexed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge, a total of 29 studies evaluating patients with MDD undergoing ECT were reviewed. Molecular biomarkers studies did not consistently identify concentration changes in plasma S-100 protein, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), or Aβ peptides significantly associated with cognitive performance after ECT. Importantly, these findings suggest that ECT-related cognitive side effects cannot be explained by mechanisms of neural cell damage. Notwithstanding, S-100b protein and Aβ40 peptide concentrations, as well as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) polymorphisms, have been suggested as potential predictive biomarkers of cognitive dysfunction after ECT. In addition, recent advances in brain imaging have allowed us to identify ECT-induced volumetric and functional changes in several brain structures closely related to memory performance such as the hippocampus. We provide a preliminary framework to further evaluate neurobiological cognitive vulnerability profiles of patients with MDD treated with ECT.


2016 ◽  
Vol 171 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 215-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Lally ◽  
John Tully ◽  
Dene Robertson ◽  
Brendon Stubbs ◽  
Fiona Gaughran ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyune June Lee ◽  
Sung Min Kim ◽  
Ji Yean Kwon

Abstract Background Peripartum depression is a common disorder with very high potential hazards for both the patients and their babies. The typical treatment options include antidepressants and electroconvulsive therapy. However, these treatments do not ensure the safety of the fetus. Recently, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation has emerged as a promising treatment for neuropathies as well as depression. Nevertheless, many studies excluded pregnant women. This systematic review was conducted to confirm whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation was a suitable treatment option for peripartum depression. Methods We performed a systematic review that followed the PRISMA guidelines. We searched for studies in the MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Cochrane library databases published until the end of September 2020. Eleven studies were selected for the systematic review, and five studies were selected for quantitative synthesis. Data analysis was conducted using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3 software. The effect size was analyzed using the standardized mean difference, and the 95% confidence interval (CI) was determined by the generic inverse variance estimation method. Results The therapeutic effect size of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for peripartum depression was 1.394 (95% CI: 0.944–1.843), and the sensitivity analysis effect size was 1.074 (95% CI: 0.689–1.459), indicating a significant effect. The side effect size of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for peripartum depression was 0.346 (95% CI: 0.214–0.506), a meaningful result. There were no severe side effects to the mothers or fetuses. Conclusions From various perspectives, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can be considered an alternative treatment to treat peripartum depression to avoid exposure of fetuses to drugs and the severe side effects of electroconvulsive therapy. Further research is required to increase confidence in the results.


Author(s):  
Tiago R. de Lima ◽  
Priscila C. Martins ◽  
Giuseppe L. Torre ◽  
Alice Mannocci ◽  
Kelly S. Silva ◽  
...  

AbstractThe aim of this systematic review was to identify and summarize evidence for the association between muscle strength (MS) and metabolic syndrome (MetS), and MS and combinations of risk factors for MetS in children and adolescents. Five databases (Medline/PubMed, EBSCO, Scielo, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge) were searched up to November 2019 with complementary reference list searches. Inclusion criteria were studies that investigated the relationship between MS and MetS or MS and combinations of risk factors for MetS in children and adolescents (≤19 years of age). Risk of bias was assessed using standard procedures. From the total of 15,599 articles initially identified, 13 articles were included, representing 11,641 children and adolescents. Higher MS values were associated with lower risk for MetS or combinations of risk factors for MetS (n=11/13 studies). Of the total of included studies, about 23.1% (03/13) were longitudinal and all included studies were classified as having a moderate risk of bias. This review provides preliminary evidence for a beneficial relationship between MS and MetS among children and adolescents. Additionally, although the body of evidence points to the beneficial relationship between higher MS and lower risk for combination of factors for MetS in children and adolescents, this relationship is inconclusive.


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