Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is not associated with response to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): a pilot study in drug resistant depressed patients.
Refractory depression is a highly debilitating mental condition that originates major social and economic burden. About 50% of the patients experience a chronic course of illness and up to 20% show an insufficient response to drug treatments. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective treatment method in refractory depression, although its mechanism of action is still unknown. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is decreased in depressive episodes, and increases with antidepressant treatment, being suggested as a biomarker of response to ECT. We report the findings of a study on the effects of ECT on BDNF and clinical outcomes in a group of drug resistant depressive patients before and after ECT. The patients post-ECTs have shown an important improvement of depressive symptomatology on the HDRS (p=0.001), of psychotic features on the BPRS (p=0.001) and of the severity of illness on the CGI (p=0.001). There were no changes in the serum BDNF before and after the ECT treatment (p=0.89). These results do not support the hypothesis that the clinical improvement following ECT is due to changes in the BDNF.
Fernandes
Brisa
B
Bipolar Disorder Program, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Gama
Clarissa S
CS
Massuda
Rafael
R
Torres
Mariana
M
Camargo
Daniel
D
Kunz
Mauricio
M
Belmonte-de-Abreu
Paulo Silva
PS
Kapczinski
Flávio
F
de Almeida Fleck
Marcelo Pio
MP
Inês Lobato
Maria
M
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D015415:Biomarkers; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor