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Electroconvulsive Therapy

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), or shock therapy, remains a critical biomedical intervention for severe, treatment-resistant depression. While its origins can be traced back to Hippocrates' observations that malaria-induced convulsions alleviated mental illness, modern ECT has evolved significantly from its earlier, more primitive applications. First introduced in 1938 by Ugo Cerletti and his colleagues, ECT involves inducing controlled seizures using electrical currents. In its early...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 26, 2026

Electroconvulsive Seizures in Rats and Fractionation of Their Hippocampi to Examine Seizure-induced Changes in Postsynaptic Density Proteins

Electroconvulsive Seizures in Rats and Fractionation of Their Hippocampi to Examine Seizure-induced Changes in Postsynaptic Density Proteins

Published on: August 15, 2017

Electroconvulsive therapy increases temporal gray matter volume and cortical thickness.

Alexander Sartorius¹, Traute Demirakca², Andreas Böhringer³

¹Research Group Translational Imaging, Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany.

European Neuropsychopharmacology : the Journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology

|January 22, 2016

Summary

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) increases gray matter (GM) volume in the hippocampus and amygdala for patients with major depressive episodes (MDE). This brain plasticity suggests ECT is not brain damaging.

Keywords:

Amygdala Cortical thickness Depression Electroconvulsive therapy Hippocampus VBM

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Published on: April 15, 2015

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Psychiatry
Radiology

Background:

Major depressive episodes (MDE) are often treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
Previous studies indicate temporal brain volume alterations in MDE patients.
Investigating ECT's impact on brain structure is crucial for understanding treatment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

To examine gray matter (GM) volume changes in the whole brain after ECT in MDE patients.
To assess ECT's effect on cortical thickness in specific brain regions.
To explore correlations between GM changes and psychopathological parameters.

Main Methods:

Prospective study of 18 MDE patients undergoing ECT.
Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) used for quantifying GM volume changes.
Voxel-based cortical thickness analysis performed on brain MRI scans.

Main Results:

Significant increases in temporal lobe GM volume observed post-ECT.
Highly significant GM increases detected in the hippocampus and amygdala.
Cortical thickness analysis revealed increased temporal cortical regions, supporting VBM findings.

Conclusions:

ECT treatment leads to significant gray matter volume increases in the hippocampus and amygdala in MDE patients.
Findings support the hypothesis that ECT promotes neuroplasticity, countering notions of brain damage.
The study provides further evidence for ECT's therapeutic benefits through structural brain changes.