Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 20, 2026
09:07
Electroconvulsive Seizures in Rats and Fractionation of Their Hippocampi to Examine Seizure-induced Changes in Postsynaptic Density Proteins
Published on: August 15, 2017
12.8K
Hippocampal structural and functional changes associated with electroconvulsive therapy response.
C C Abbott1, T Jones1, N T Lemke1
1Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Research MSC11 6035, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Translational Psychiatry
|November 19, 2014
Summary
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may improve major depressive disorder by increasing right hippocampal connectivity and volume. These changes in the brain's hippocampus show potential as biomarkers for treatment response.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Radiology
Background:
- Hippocampal neuroplasticity is linked to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) response.
- The relationship between hippocampal volume changes, temporal coherence, and ECT response is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if ECT response increases hippocampal resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) connectivity and volumes.
- To identify potential neuroimaging biomarkers for ECT response in major depressive disorder.
Main Methods:
- Nineteen patients with major depressive disorder underwent rs-fMRI and structural imaging before and after ECT.
- Twenty healthy controls were scanned once.
- Longitudinal changes in hippocampal functional connectivity and subfield volumes were correlated with symptom reduction.
Main Results:
- Increased right hippocampal functional connectivity after ECT correlated with reduced depressive symptoms.
- Volumes of right hippocampal subfields (CA2/3, dentate gyrus, subiculum) increased post-ECT.
- Connectivity changes were not observed in the left hippocampus; volume changes were limited to left CA2/3 subfields.
Conclusions:
- Increased hippocampal functional connectivity and volumes may serve as biomarkers for ECT response.
- The observed laterality in changes may be associated with the predominantly right unilateral ECT stimulus delivery.
