AI Article Synopsis

  • The study investigates how electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) affects levels of neuroactive steroids (NAS) in patients with treatment-resistant depression.
  • 19 inpatients with major depression were assessed for changes in various steroid levels before and after ECT.
  • Results indicated that ECT did not significantly alter NAS levels, but some steroids like dehydroepiandrosterone and pregnenolone may relate to symptom improvement.

Article Abstract

Objective: Neuroactive steroids (NAS) are neuroactive molecules that have been shown to be associated with various psychiatric disorders. There are some inconclusive findings about the alteration in neuroactive steroid levels after the treatment of depression and ECT is still one of the most effective treatment choices for treatment resistant depression. Thus, we aimed to investigate the alterations of several NAS in plasma after ECT in inpatients with treatment resistant depression.

Methods: In this study we enrolled 19 consecutive patients, 12 female and 7 male inpatients with major depression, who were not responding to medication, for whom ECT was Indicated, and were not taking any antidepressant treatment for at least a week prior to enrolment. We measured plasma progesterone, testosterone, pregnenolone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and estradiol levels before and after ECT.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 38.3 ± 9.4 years. The mean plasma neuroactive steroid levels were insignificant between baseline and post ECT in patients with treatment resistant depression.

Conclusions: ECT does not seem to influence plasma neuroactive steroid levels in patients with treatment resistant depression. Additionally, plasma dehydroepiandrosterone and pregnenolone levels might be associated with improvement in depressive symptoms after ECT.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/13651501.2014.941880DOI Listing

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