The role of cognitive group therapy and happiness training on cerebral blood flow using 99mTc-ECD brain perfusion SPECT: a quasi-experimental study of depressed patients.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of cognitive group therapy and happiness training objectively in the local cerebral blood flow of patients with major depression (MD).


METHODS
The present research is semi-experimental to pre- and post-test with a control group. Three groups were formed, and this number was incorporated in each group: 12 patients were chosen randomly; the first group of depressed patients benefited from the combination of pharmacotherapy and sessions of cognitive group therapy; the second group used a combination of pharmacotherapy and sessions of happiness training; and a third group used only pharmacotherapy. We compared cognitive-behavioural therapy and happiness training efficacy with only pharmacotherapy in MD patients. We performed brain perfusion SPECT in each group, before and after each trial.


RESULTS
The study was conducted on 36 patients with MD (32 women and 4 men; mean age: 41.22 ± 9.08; range: 27-65 years). There were significant differences regarding the two trial effects into two experimental groups (p < 0/001) before and after trials, while such differences were not significant in the control group (p > 0.05). In addition, there was significant difference among the regional cerebral blood flow in the frontal and prefrontal regions into two experimental groups before and after trials (p < 0/001), while such differences were not significant in the control group (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrated decreased cerebral perfusion in the frontal regions in MD patients, which increased following cognitive group therapy and happiness training. Because of its availability, low costs, easy performance, and the objective semi-quantitative information supplied, brain perfusion SPECT scanning might be useful to assess the diagnosis and therapy efficacy. Further exploration is needed to validate its clinical role.
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Azizi
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Bahrieniain
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Baghdasarians
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Emamipur
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Azizmohammadi
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Qutbi
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Javadi
Majid Assadi, MD, The Persian Gulf Nuclear Medicine Research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr 3631, Iran, Tel. +98/771/258 01 69, Fax +98/771/254 18 28.
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Assadi
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Asli
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D055420:Perfusion Imaging / Q000379:methods; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C059659:technetium Tc 99m bicisate; D003545:Cysteine
Major depression; brain perfusion SPECT; cognitive group therapy; happiness training