Electroconvulsive therapy-induced brain plasticity determines therapeutic outcome in mood disorders

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1321399111
• Publication Date: 2013-12-31T02:43:06Z
• Authors: Juergen Dukart; Francesca Regen; Ferath Kherif; Michael Colla; Malek Bajbouj; Isabella Heuser; Richard S. Fracko...; Bogdan Draganski
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Brain Mapping; Bipolar Disorder; Neuronal Plasticity; Depression; Mood Disorders; Deep Brain Stimulation; Middle Aged; Hippocampus; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; 3. Good health; Electrophysiology; 03 medical and health sciences; Treatment Outcome; 0302 clinical medicine; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Humans; False Positive Reactions; Female; Electroconvulsive Therapy

Significance Electroconvulsive therapy is controversial: How does a major electrical discharge over half the brain result in recovery disorders such as refractory depression and manic depression, which are apparently different diseases? We find local but not general anatomy changes following electroconvulsive that differently distributed each disease, areas affected those implicated abnormal disorder. An interaction between specific pathology appears to be responsible for therapeutic effect. Our results have implications other electrically based treatments, deep stimulation transcranial magnetic stimulation.