Absence of histological lesions in primate models of ECT and magnetic seizure therapy.
OBJECTIVE
The authors present preliminary findings from the first nonhuman primate neuropathological study of ECT to use perfusion fixation and adequate controls and the first to compare ECT with magnetic seizure therapy, to their knowledge.


METHODS
Twelve Macaca mullata received 6 weeks of daily ECT, magnetic seizure therapy, or anesthesia alone. After perfusion fixation, their brains were examined while masked to intervention.


RESULTS
No identified lesions were attributable to the interventions. Cortical and hippocampal immunoreactivity for glial fibrillary acidic protein (an astrocytic marker) was most intense in the group that received ECT.


CONCLUSIONS
This small but rigorous primate study supports the view that ECT does not produce histological lesions in the brain and provides the first comparable safety data on magnetic seizure therapy.
Magnetic Brain Stimulation Laboratory, Department of Biological Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York 10032, USA. ajd6@columbia.edu
Andrew J
AJ
Dwork
Victoria
V
Arango
Mark
M
Underwood
Boro
B
Ilievski
Gorazd
G
Rosoklija
Harold A
HA
Sackeim
Sarah H
SH
Lisanby
D000679:Amygdala / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D003712:Dendrites / Q000473:pathology; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008280:Magnetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000473:pathology; D012640:Seizures / Q000473:pathology*
D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins