The following is a summary of “Electroconvulsive therapy is associated with increased immunoreactivity of neuroplasticity markers in the hippocampus of depressed patients,” published in the November 2023 issue of Psychiatry by Loef et al.
While Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) stands as an effective treatment for depression, its precise cellular impact on the human brain remains enigmatic. Rodent studies indicate that electroconvulsive shocks bolster proliferation and plasticity marker expression within the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG), hinting at heightened neurogenesis. MRI assessments in depressed patients post-ECT have revealed amplified DG volume alongside diminished depressive mood scores. However, the extent of cellular plasticity, inflammation, or potential injury induced by ECT in the human hippocampus remained unclear. In this inaugural anatomical study, the researchers examined post-mortem hippocampal tissue from a distinct, well-documented cohort of bipolar or unipolar depressed patients treated with ECT within five years before their demise. These subjects were compared with age-matched depressed patients who did not receive ECT and with matched healthy controls. Histopathological scrutiny revealed no significant hippocampal cell loss, evident cytoarchitectural alterations, or typical neuropathological changes across the three groups.
Moreover, no conspicuous differences surfaced in inflammatory markers associated with astrocytes or microglia. While counts of proliferating cells expressing Ki-67 remained consistent, the study group observed a notably higher percentage of Doublecortin-positive cells, a common marker for young neurons and cellular plasticity, in the subgranular zone and CA4 / hilus of the hippocampus in ECT patients. Additionally, the percentage of Stathmin 1-positive cells significantly increased in the subgranular zone of ECT patients, indicative of neuroplasticity. These preliminary post-mortem findings suggest that ECT appears devoid of detrimental effects but potentially induces neuroplasticity in the dentate gyrus of depressed patients.
Source: nature.com/articles/s41398-023-02658-1
