Longitudinal alterations in mRNA expression of the BDNF neurotrophin signaling cascade in blood correlate with changes in depression scores in patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) appears to be the most effective treatment for severe depression. However, its mechanisms of action are incompletely understood. Evidence suggests ECT enhances neuroplasticity and neurogenesis.

Successful electroconvulsive therapy for depression in a man with cerebral amyloid angiopathy.

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a condition characterised by accumulation of amyloid beta protein (Aβ) in the wall of cerebral blood vessels which increases the risk of intracranial haemorrhage and contributes to cognitive impairment. We describe the case of a man around the age of 70 with 'probable' CAA according to the modified Boston criteria and severe depression whose depression was treated successfully with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). To the best of our knowledge, there are no earlier published reports of ECT in a patient with CAA.

Attentional bias and general orienting processes in bipolar disorder.

Attentional biases for emotional stimuli and general orienting processes were examined in bipolar disorder, using a modified dot-probe task with a spatial cueing paradigm incorporated in it. Bipolar patients in a euthymic state (i.e.