title: Single electroconvulsive shock and dopamine autoreceptors.
abstract: Dopamine (DA) auto receptor down regulation has been suggested to mediate the therapeutic effect of antidepressant treatments including electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Suggestion has also been made that a single ECT may have antidepressant potential via such a mechanism. The present study was therefore conducted to assess the effects ill a single electroconvulsive shock (ECS) on dopamine auto receptors in the rat brain. Using the low dose, Apomorphine-induccd by pomotilily behavioural paradigm, DA auto receptor function was studied one and eight days alter a single true ECS, and 8 days alter a single sham ECS. No significant difference was observed between the groups. The results suggest that single ECS exerts neither acute nor time-dependant DA auto receptor effects; however, the issue in certain aspects remains open for further study.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor in Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore.
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Gangadhar
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramadevi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pradhan