Transient increase of plasma concentrations of amyloid β peptides after electroconvulsive therapy

Recurrent Serotonin Syndrome After Ketamine-assisted Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Serotonin (5-HT) syndrome (SS) consists of changes in mental status as well as autonomic and neuromuscular changes. Though not well understood, serotonergic pathways have been implicated in the mechanism of action of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Ketamine has been used as an induction agent in ECT and as therapy for treatment-resistant depression. Utilizing a case report and literature review, we explored the underlying serotonergic mechanisms of ECT and ketamine by which a syndrome of serotonin toxicity may be precipitated. We describe the case of a 72-year-old woman who developed recurrent SS on 2 occasions in similar circumstances involving the administration of ketamine for ECT. In our literature review, we found 5 cases in which SS was associated with ECT and 1 case linking ketamine to SS. There is emerging evidence that the mechanism of ECT involves 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors, the same receptors that are involved in SS. ECT can transiently increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, leading to increased levels of antidepressants in the brain. ECT can, therefore, enhance 5-HT transmission and the likelihood of SS in the presence of serotonergic agents. The effect of ketamine on 5-HT transmission is mediated by the glutamate α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor. Ketamine increases α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, which leads to downstream 5-HT release through glutamate. Through this mechanism, ketamine can increase 5-HT transmission, leading to SS. To our knowledge, this is the only case report of recurrent SS with concurrent use of ECT and ketamine. As ketamine is frequently used in ECT and many patients undergoing ECT are on serotonergic medications, it is important to recognize ketamine as a potential risk factor for SS. There is no evidence for added efficacy when combining ECT and ketamine. Thus, one should proceed with caution when combining these treatments. The burgeoning use of ketamine in ambulatory settings makes it necessary to elucidate the risks, which we discuss further. More research is needed into the mechanisms of ketamine and ECT, specifically how the combination of these treatments influence 5-HT levels.

Blood-brain barrier permeability and electroconvulsive therapy: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

The cause of cognitive side effects after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is largely unknown. Alterations in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) have been considered in several recent ECT studies. We therefore found it worthwhile to perform a systematic review of the literature to examine if electrically induced seizures affect the permeability of the BBB.

METHODS

PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase were searched 16 November 2022. Studies with a direct measurement of BBB permeability in animals treated with modified electroconvulsive stimulation (ECS) and in humans treated with ECT were included. Synthesis of results was narrative due to the low number of studies and differences in study designs.

RESULTS

Four animal and two human (31 participants) studies were included. In animals, two studies found increased BBB permeability to some smaller molecules after modified ECS, while the two other studies found marginally increased or unchanged permeability to albumin after treatment. In contrast, the human studies did not find increased BBB permeability to smaller molecules or albumin after ECT.

CONCLUSION

Animal but not human studies support increased BBB permeability to some smaller molecules after electrically induced seizures. However, this conclusion is confined by the low number of studies and the lack of studies applying state-of-the-art methods. More studies using modern approaches to measuring of BBB permeability are warranted.

FUNDING AND REGISTRATION

The study was founded by Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark (grant number 61151-05) and was registered on PROSPERO before data extraction was initiated (CRD42022331385).

Mental Illness and Amyloid: A Scoping Review of Scientific Evidence over the Last 10 Years (2011 to 2021)

Amyloid precursor protein and its derivates represent a central factor in the process of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Since mental illnesses share with AD cognitive impairment, amyloid indicators have been used to explore the unknown pathophysiologic mechanisms underlining psychiatric illness. This work aims to compare the role of amyloid markers, together with tau proteins, among various mental disorders evaluating the possible role of altered amyloid metabolism in the onset and in the course of psychiatric diseases, considering the relationship with cognitive impairment in dementia. This review includes articles written in English, published between 1 January 2011 and 31 January 2021, which evaluated amyloid and tau proteins in psychiatric patients. After screening, 31 studies were included in the review. Results suggest that amyloid metabolism is altered in major psychiatric disorders and that it could be a marker of cognitive impairment. Nevertheless, the role of amyloid in mental diseases seems to be related to neurodevelopmental alteration as well as neurodegeneration processes, like in AD. The role of amyloid in the pathogenesis of mental disorders is still unknown. Amyloid should not be only considered as a marker of cognitive impairment in mental illness, but also for altered neurodevelopment.

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. We briefly discuss possible safety measures for these patients, the impact of ECT on cognition in CAA and a possible influence of ECT on Aβ clearance.

Comparison of the target-controlled infusion and the manual infusion of propofol anesthesia during electroconvulsive therapy: an open-label randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Target-controlled infusion (TCI) of propofol is a well-established method of procedural sedation and has been used in Japan for anesthesia during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). However, the usefulness of the TCI of propofol for ECT has yet to be determined. This study aimed to compare the TCI and manual infusion (MI) of propofol anesthesia during ECT.

METHODS

A total of forty psychiatric inpatients receiving bitemporal ECT were enrolled in the present study and randomized into the TCI group (N = 20) and the MI group (N = 20). Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores were measured before and after ECT. The clinical outcomes, anesthesia-related variables, and ECT-related variables were compared between the two groups. Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to model the comparison throughout the course of ECT.

RESULTS

A total of 36 subjects completed the present study, with 18 subjects in each group. Both the groups didn't significantly differ in the post-ECT changes in CGI and MoCA scores. However, concerning MoCA scores after 6 treatments of ECT, the MI group had improvement while the TCI group had deterioration. Compared with the MI group, the TCI group had higher doses of propofol, and longer procedural and recovery time. The TCI group seemed to have more robust seizures in the early course of ECT but less robust seizures in the later course of ECT compared with the MI group.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study does not support the use of TCI of propofol for anesthesia of ECT.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

(ClinicalTrials.gov): NCT03863925 . Registered March 5, 2019 - Retrospectively registered.

Plasma Amyloid-β and Alzheimer's Disease-Related Changes in Late-Life Depression

To elucidate an involvement of amyloid dysmetabolism in the pathophysiology of depression, we investigated associations of plasma amyloid-β (Aβ) levels with Alzheimer's disease-related changes in neuroimaging and cognitive dysfunction in patients with late-life depression. Higher plasma Aβ40, but not Aβ42 nor Aβ40/Aβ42 ratio, was associated with higher degree of parahippocampal atrophy and lower verbal fluency performance. Indeed, high plasma Aβ40 predicted poor cognitive prognosis of depressed patients with mild cognitive impairment. As an anti-depressive treatment, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) resulted in a marginally significant reduction of plasma Aβ40 compared to pharmacotherapy alone, suggesting protective effects of ECT against amyloid dysmetabolism.

Cognitive Impairment and Electroconvulsive Therapy in Geriatric Depression, What Could be the Role of Rivastigmine? A Case Series

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), albeit highly effective in treating depression, is frequently associated with cognitive impairment, either temporary or more persistent. Especially in older patients, who generally respond even better, serious cognitive impairment during the course of ECT may lead to premature termination of ECT. Treatment of this cognitive impairment is of utmost importance. In this case series report, we present the effect of rivastigmine, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, on cognitive impairment in three older, severely depressed patients during or after a course of ECT. An improvement of cognitive functioning, in particular a decline of confusional symptoms, was observed in two patients with structural brain alterations associated with aging. In the other patient, who suffered primarily from amnesia, no effect of rivastigmine was observed. These preliminary results emphasize the need for detailed profiling of cognitive impairment when developing a research design to study the potential benefits of rivastigmine in the prevention or treatment of cognitive impairment in severely depressed patients treated with ECT.

The role of APOE-ɛ4 and beta amyloid in the differential rate of recovery from ECT: a review

Individual biological differences may contribute to the variability of outcomes, including cognitive effects, observed following electroconvulsive treatment (ECT). A narrative review of the research literature on carriage of the apolipoprotein E ɛ4 allele (APOE-ɛ4) and the protein biomarker beta amyloid (Aβ) with ECT cognitive outcome was undertaken. ECT induces repeated brain seizures and there is debate as to whether this causes brain injury and long-term cognitive disruption. The majority of ECT is administered to the elderly (over age 65 years) with drug-resistant depression. Depression in the elderly may be a symptom of the prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Carriage of the APOE-ɛ4 allele and raised cerebral Aβ are consistently implicated in AD, but inconsistently implicated in brain injury (and related syndromes) recovery rates. A paucity of brain-related recovery, genetic and biomarker research in ECT responses in the elderly was found: three studies have examined the effect of APOE-ɛ4 allele carriage on cognition in the depressed elderly receiving ECT, and two have examined Aβ changes after ECT, with contradictory findings. Cognitive changes in all studies of ECT effects were measured by a variety of psychological tests, making comparisons of such changes between studies problematic. Further, psychological test data-validity measures were not routinely administered, counter to current testing recommendations. The methodological issues of the currently available literature as well as the need for well-designed, hypothesis driven, longitudinal studies are discussed.

Rapid Response of Long-Standing, Treatment-Resistant Non-Catatonic Mutism in Paranoid Schizophrenia with Single ECT session

Context:

Mutism is a common manifestation of catatonia, but mutism due to other forms of psychopathology and neurological disorders have also been described. Although not common, long-standing mutism has also been a feature of non-catatonic schizophrenia and traditionally responds less to conventional therapies.

Case Report:

We describe a rare case of paranoid schizophrenia presenting with continuous mutism for about 4 years. This 26-year-old male had symptoms of schizophrenia without catatonia. After failed trial of adequate pharmacotherapy and psychological intervention and considering his level of dysfunction, he was started on electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). To our surprise, he improved with a single session of ECT while he was on concurrent pharmacotherapy. We also discuss the possible explanation for this rapid effect of ECT in such clinical presentation. To our knowledge, this is the first case of non-catatonic mutism of schizophrenia of this long duration responding so promptly to ECT, although there are other reports as well in literature, but multiple ECT sessions were applied in those cases.

Conclusion:

Non-catatonic mutism is perhaps presenting as a cultural variant in this part of the world and whenever encountered, ECT should be an option. Further research should be carried out to validate this idea.

Plasma amyloid-β levels in drug-resistant bipolar depressed patients receiving electroconvulsive therapy

AIMS

Alterations of plasma amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides have been related to a high risk for cognitive impairment and dementia. The present study aimed to measure plasma Aβ peptides (Aβ40, Aβ42) and the Aβ40/Aβ42 ratio in a sample of drug-resistant bipolar depressed patients, as well as to explore the possible correlation between biological parameters and clinical changes along an electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) course.

METHODS

Aβ40 and Aβ42 were measured by means of an ELISA assay in 25 drug-resistant bipolar depressed patients before (T0) and 1 week after (T1) the end of ECT. The patients were clinically evaluated by means of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, 21-item (HRSD-21), the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness Scale.

RESULTS

Plasma Aβ levels and the Aβ40/Aβ42 ratio were similar at T0 and T1. The Aβ40/Aβ42 ratio correlated positively with the HRSD total score at both T0 and T1. At T0, a negative correlation was found between the Aβ40/Aβ42 ratio and the improvement of depressive and cognitive symptoms. Moreover, remitters (n = 9; HRSD ≤10) showed a significantly lower Aβ40/Aβ42 ratio at T0 than nonremitters.

CONCLUSION

The present data suggest that a low Aβ40/Aβ42 ratio might characterize a subgroup of depressed patients who respond to ECT, while higher values of this parameter seem to be typical of more severe cases of patients with cognitive impairment.

Transient serotonin syndrome by concurrent use of electroconvulsive therapy and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor: a case report and review of the literature

The serotonin syndrome, which is characterized by psychiatric, autonomic nervous and neurological symptoms, is considered to be caused by excessive stimulation of the 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 receptors in the gray matter and spinal cord of the central nervous system, after the start of dosing or increase of the dose of a serotoninergic drug. There have been hardly any reports of induction of serotonin syndrome by electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in combination with antidepressant. We present the case of a female patient with major depressive disorder (MDD) who developed transient serotonin syndrome soon after the first session of ECT in combination with paroxetine. Paroxetine was discontinued, and her psychiatric, autonomic nervous and neurological symptoms were gradually relieved and disappeared within 2 days. We performed the second ECT session 5 days after the initial session and performed 12 sessions of ECT without any changes in the procedure of ECT and anesthesia, but no symptoms of SS were observed. Finally, her MDD remitted. ECT might cause transiently increased blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and enhance the transmissivity of the antidepressant in BBB. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to rare side effect of serotonin syndrome by ECT in combination with antidepressant.