title: Effects of ECT-dothiepin combination on learning in rats.
abstract: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and antidepressant drugs are each known to impair learning and memory. No information is available on their effects on cognition when used concurrently in the treatment of depression, as is frequent in India. In the present study, therefore, the effects of electro-convulsive shocks (ECS) and dothiepin, separately and in combination, were studied in an animal model employing a complex maze operant learning paradigm. ECS were given on alternate days (3/week) for 2 weeks. Dothiepin (10 mg/kg, ip) was administered once daily for 2 weeks. Learning was assessed on days 2-10 post-treatment ECS produced greater initial impairment in learning while dothiepin produced a more sustained impairment. While impairment was maximum in the combined treatment group, the statistical significances that emerged to proscribed the combination were but weak.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krishnamurthy
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: DeSouza
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Selvaraj
authors.forename: B V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Venkataraman
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nagarani
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Andrade
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004308:Dothiepin / Q000633:toxicity*; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004308:Dothiepin