title: Electroconvulsive therapy improves clinical manifestation with plasma BDNF levels unchanged in treatment-resistant depression patients.
abstract: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective treatment in treatment-resistant depression; it may modulate intracellular processes in such patients. This study aimed to investigate the association between changes in plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and the clinical improvements after ECT for patients with treatment-resistant depression. Fifty-five inpatients with treatment-resistant depression were recruited. The severity of depression was measured using the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) and the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) before ECT, after every 3 sessions of ECT, and at the end of ECT. Plasma BDNF levels were measured in all subjects before and after ECT. The severity of depression was significantly reduced on the HAMD-17 (p < 0.001) and the CGI-S (p < 0.001) after the end of ECT. There were no significant differences in plasma BDNF levels after ECT (p = 0.615). No significant correlation was found between changes in plasma BDNF levels and changes in HAMD-17 scores (r = 0.188, p = 0.169). Our results do not support the hypothesis that improvements in treatment-resistant depression patients after ECT are due to changes in BDNF levels.
authors.affiliation: Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Ching-Hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ming-Chao
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wen-Kuei
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Cheng-Chung
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chiung-Hsien
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Hsien-Yuan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lane
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D061218:Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C579455:BDNF protein, human