BACKGROUND: Since the past 2 decades, new evidence for brain plasticity has caused a shift in both preclinical and clinical ECT research from falsifying the "brain damage hypothesis" toward exploring ECT's enabling brain (neuro)plasticity effects. METHODS: By reviewing the available animal and human literature, we examined the theory that seizure-induced structural changes are crucial for the therapeutic efficacy of ECT. RESULTS: Both animal and human studies suggest electroconvulsive stimulation/electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)-related neuroplasticity (neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, angiogenesis, or gliogenesis). CONCLUSION: It remains unclear whether structural changes might explain the therapeutic efficacy and/or be related to the (transient) learning and memory impairment after ECT. Methods to assess in vivo brain plasticity of patients treated with ECT will be of particular importance for future longitudinal studies to give support to the currently available correlational data.
BACKGROUND: Since the past 2 decades, new evidence for brain plasticity has caused a shift in both preclinical and clinical ECT research from falsifying the "brain damage hypothesis" toward exploring ECT's enabling brain (neuro)plasticity effects. METHODS: By reviewing the available animal and human literature, we examined the theory that seizure-induced structural changes are crucial for the therapeutic efficacy of ECT. RESULTS: Both animal and human studies suggest electroconvulsive stimulation/electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)-related neuroplasticity (neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, angiogenesis, or gliogenesis). CONCLUSION: It remains unclear whether structural changes might explain the therapeutic efficacy and/or be related to the (transient) learning and memory impairment after ECT. Methods to assess in vivo brain plasticity of patients treated with ECT will be of particular importance for future longitudinal studies to give support to the currently available correlational data.
Authors: Takahiro Soda; Declan M McLoughlin; Scott R Clark; Leif Oltedal; Ute Kessler; Jan Haavik; Chad Bousman; Daniel J Smith; Miquel Bioque; Caitlin C Clements; Colleen Loo; Fidel Vila-Rodriguez; Alessandra Minelli; Brian J Mickey; Roumen Milev; Anna R Docherty; Julie Langan Martin; Eric D Achtyes; Volker Arolt; Ronny Redlich; Udo Dannlowski; Narcis Cardoner; Emily Clare; Nick Craddock; Arianna Di Florio; Monika Dmitrzak-Weglarz; Liz Forty; Katherine Gordon-Smith; Mustafa Husain; Wendy M Ingram; Lisa Jones; Ian Jones; Mario Juruena; George Kirov; Mikael Landén; Daniel J Müller; Axel Nordensköld; Erik Pålsson; Meethu Paul; Agnieszka Permoda; Bartlomiej Pliszka; Jamie Rea; Klaus O Schubert; Joshua A Sonnen; Virginia Soria; Will Stageman; Akihiro Takamiya; Mikel Urretavizacaya; Stuart Watson; Maxim Zavorotny; Allan H Young; Eduard Vieta; Janusz K Rybakowski; Massimo Gennarelli; Peter P Zandi; Patrick F Sullivan; Bernhard T Baune Journal: Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci Date: 2019-12-04 Impact factor: 5.270
Authors: Zhi-De Deng; Bruce Luber; Nicholas L Balderston; Melbaliz Velez Afanador; Michelle M Noh; Jeena Thomas; William C Altekruse; Shannon L Exley; Shriya Awasthi; Sarah H Lisanby Journal: Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol Date: 2020-01-06 Impact factor: 13.820
Authors: Thomas Nickl-Jockschat; Nicola Palomero Gallagher; Vinod Kumar; Felix Hoffstaedter; Elisabeth Brügmann; Ute Habel; Simon B Eickhoff; Michael Grözinger Journal: Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci Date: 2015-08-11 Impact factor: 5.270