The effect of electroconvulsive therapy on blood glucose, creatinine levels, and lipid profile and its association with the type of psychiatric disorders

Electroconvulsive therapy and adiposity-related parameters in treatment-resistant depressed patients

Obesity is often accompanied by major depressive disorder (MDD), and vice versa. Latest research findings suggest the body mass index (BMI) to play a role in antidepressant treatment response in general. Our study aims to examine whether adiposity-related parameters such as BMI, glucose homeostasis, or serum lipids are associated with remission to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). A pilot study (PS, n = 9) and a glucose study (GS, n = 29) were conducted. Blood was withdrawn directly before and 15 min (GS) as well as 1 h (PS) after the first ECT and directly before the last one (usually an ECT series comprised up to twelve sessions). BMI was associated with remission in the PS (remitters: M = 28, SD = 2.5; non-remitters: M = 22, SD = 2.08; t(7) = 3.325, p < 0.001, d = 0.24) but not in the GS or when pooled together. Glucose and insulin levels increased significantly after a single ECT session (GS: glucose: F (2,25.66) = 39.04, p < 0.001; insulin: PS: F (2,83) = 25.8, p < 0.001; GS: F (2,25.87) = 3.97, p < 0.05) but no chronic effect was detectable. Serum lipids were neither significantly altered after a single ECT session nor during a whole course of ECT. There was no difference between remitters and non-remitters in insulin, glucose, or serum lipid levels. Our study is lacking the differentiation between abdominal and peripheral fat distribution, and the sample size is small. Unexpectedly, BMI, glucose homeostasis, and lipid serum levels did not differ in patients remitting during ECT. In contrast to recently published studies, we cannot confirm the hypothesis that BMI may have an impact on ECT response.

The nesfatin 1 level in male patients with manic episode and alterations of nesfatin 1 level after antipsychotic and electroconvulsive treatment

BACKGROUND

Nesfatin 1 is a newly identified peptide structured satiety hormone that is claimed to be responsible for the provision of appetite and metabolic regulation in hypothalamus. The change in appetite and energy is a well-known clinical feature of affective disorders and within treatment. We aimed to investigate serum nesfatin 1 level in patients with bipolar disorder who were in manic episode and the influences of treatment modalities on nesfatin 1 level.

METHODS

Sixty eight patients were elected and were divided into two groups as: antipsychotic treatment (haloperidol 10-30 mg/daily+quetiapine 100-900 mg/daily) arm and ECT+antipsychotic treatment arm. And 30 healthy controls were included in the study.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference according to mean age between patients and controls. Initial nesfatin 1 levels in patients and in both subgroups of patients were statistically lower than in healthy control group. The initial level of nesfatin 1 between ECT+antipsychotic and pure antipsychotic patient groups was not statistically significant. We found a trend of increment in nesfatin 1 level after treatment in both patient groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first that revealed significantly lower nesfatin 1 level in manic episode than healthy controls. ECT+antipsychotic and antipsychotic treatments have no significant effects on nesfatin 1 level after manic episode treatment. These findings should be interpreted cautiously because of small sample size and being drug free only for one week.