Electroconvulsive therapy alters dopamine signaling in the striatum of non-human primates.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the most effective therapies for depression and has beneficial motor effects in parkinsonian patients. However, little is known about the mechanisms of therapeutic action of ECT for either condition. The aim of this work was to explore the impact of ECT on dopaminergic function in the striatum of non-human primates.

Quantifying development: Investigating highly myelinated voxels in preadolescent corpus callosum.

Multi-echo T(2) relaxation decay data was acquired for 5 preadolescent males (age range 9-12 years). A signal to noise filter appropriate for multi-exponential T(2) analysis was then applied to remove voxels which did not accurately fit the modelled curve. The remaining voxels were designated "highly myelinated" if their myelin water fraction (MWF) was greater than a critical value.

Reproducibility and reliability of MR measurements in white matter: clinical implications.

The purpose of this study was to determine the reproducibility and reliability of five MRI-derived measurements, namely, total water content (WC), myelin water content (MWC), mean T2 relaxation time (GMT2), T1 relaxation time (T1) and magnetization transfer ratio (MTR). Five controls were scanned 5 times over 1 year. The five MR measurements were made for 5 white matter regions.

Electroconvulsive shock decreases binding to 5-HT2 receptors in nonhuman primates: an in vivo positron emission tomography study with [18F]setoperone.

Background: Dysfunction within the serotonin (5-HT) system plays a major role in the etiology of human depression, and treatment with antidepressant drugs downregulates 5-HT(2) receptors in rodents and humans. The consequences of another effective antidepressant treatment, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), on 5-HT(2) receptors are less established.

Methods: We studied the effects of a course of electroconvulsive shock (ECS) on 5-HT(2) receptor binding in nonhuman primates in vivo using positron emission tomography (PET) and the radiotracer [(18)F]setoperone.

Effect of Stimulus Energy on Electroconvulsive Therapy-Induced Prolactin Release.

This study was undertaken to examine the effect of stimulus energy on electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)-induced prolactin (PRL) release. Patients undergoing a course of right unilateral or bilateral ECT were studied during two consecutive treatments. The order of high- and low-energy ECT was counterbalanced between the two treatments.

The Role of Dopamine in Seizure-Induced Prolactin Release in Humans.

Prolactin (PRL) plasma levels rise severalfold following spontaneous or electrically induced seizures. To assess the role of dopamine in this neuroendocrine response, we studied the effect of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on plasma PRL after maximal dopamine receptor blockade induced by intravenous metoclopramide. Six patients undergoing ECT received metoclopramide or placebo, in counterbalanced order, 30 min prior to application of the electrical stimulus.