title: Diminished TSH release after a course of ECT: altered monoamine function or seizure activity?
abstract: The release of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) after the first and last treatments in a course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was measured in nine depressed patients free of neuroleptic drugs. There were close correlations between altered TSH release after a course of ECT and changes in bilateral spike wave activity (r = 0.99, p less than .0.001) and total seizure length (r = 0.72, p less than 0.05) as measured by six-channel electroencephalogram. The close correlation of TSH release after ECT with seizure activity makes it unlikely that the study of TSH release will provide new insights into the mode of action of this controversial treatment.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Scotland.
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Milner
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Shering
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D013972:Thyrotropin