title: Auditory processing of sine tones before, during and after ECT in depressed patients by fMRI.
abstract: Our goal was to assess treatment effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on acoustic processing in major depression. We hypothesized that (1) depression is related to functional alterations in auditory networks, and that (2) pre-treatment alterations in auditory networks are reversible through treatment with ECT. Acoustic perception of 20 severely depressed and 20 age and gender matched healthy controls was investigated by 3 T functional magnetic resonance imaging employing repeated stimulation by sine tones. Prior to ECT, depressed patients presented a multimodal recruitment of additional brain areas including regions of the secondary visual system (cuneus, lingualis) and the medial frontal cortex. During ECT, signal intensities were reduced compared to pre-ECT values and controls. Activation of several regions increased after ECT. Our data suggest that depression is accompanied by cortical dysfunction including impaired auditory processing of non-speech stimuli. This might be based on overall alterations of brain metabolism indicating functional impairment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Radiology, University of Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 33, 48129, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Christ
authors.forename: Nikolaus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Michael
authors.forename: Hermina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hihn
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schüttke
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Konrad
authors.forename: Bernhard T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Baune
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pfleiderer
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen