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Deng ZD, Robins PL, Regenold W, Rohde P, Dannhauer M, Lisanby SH. How electroconvulsive therapy works in the treatment of depression: is it the seizure, the electricity, or both? Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:150-162. [PMID: 37488281 PMCID: PMC10700353 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01677-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
We have known for nearly a century that triggering seizures can treat serious mental illness, but what we do not know is why. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) works faster and better than conventional pharmacological interventions; however, those benefits come with a burden of side effects, most notably memory loss. Disentangling the mechanisms by which ECT exerts rapid therapeutic benefit from the mechanisms driving adverse effects could enable the development of the next generation of seizure therapies that lack the downside of ECT. The latest research suggests that this goal may be attainable because modifications of ECT technique have already yielded improvements in cognitive outcomes without sacrificing efficacy. These modifications involve changes in how the electricity is administered (both where in the brain, and how much), which in turn impacts the characteristics of the resulting seizure. What we do not completely understand is whether it is the changes in the applied electricity, or in the resulting seizure, or both, that are responsible for improved safety. Answering this question may be key to developing the next generation of seizure therapies that lack these adverse side effects, and ushering in novel interventions that are better, faster, and safer than ECT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-De Deng
- Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Pei L Robins
- Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - William Regenold
- Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Paul Rohde
- Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Moritz Dannhauer
- Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sarah H Lisanby
- Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Miller J, Jones T, Upston J, Deng ZD, McClintock SM, Erhardt E, Farrar D, Abbott CC. Electric Field, Ictal Theta Power, and Clinical Outcomes in Electroconvulsive Therapy. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2023; 8:760-767. [PMID: 36925066 PMCID: PMC10329999 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2023.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is efficacious for treatment-resistant depression. Treatment-induced cognitive impairment can adversely impact functional outcomes. Our pilot study linked the electric field to ictal theta power from a single suprathreshold treatment and linked ictal theta power to changes in phonemic fluency. In this study, we set out to replicate our findings and expand upon the utility of ictal theta power as a potential cognitive biomarker. METHODS Twenty-seven participants (18 female and 9 male) received right unilateral ECT for treatment-resistant depression. Pre-ECT magnetic resonance imaging and finite element modeling determined the 90th percentile maximum electric field in the brain. Two-lead electroencephalographs were digitally captured across the ECT course, with the earliest suprathreshold treatment used to determine power spectral density. Clinical and cognitive outcomes were assessed pre-, mid-, and post-ECT. We assessed the relationship between the electric field in the brain, ictal theta power, clinical outcome (Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology), and cognitive outcomes (phonemic and semantic fluency) with linear models. RESULTS Ictal theta power in the Fp1 and Fp2 channels was associated with the electric field, antidepressant outcome, and phonemic and semantic fluency. The relationship between ictal theta power and phonemic fluency was strengthened in the longitudinal analysis. The electric field in the brain was directly associated with phonemic and semantic fluency but not with antidepressant outcome. CONCLUSIONS Ictal theta power is a potential cognitive biomarker early on in the ECT course to help guide parameter changes. Larger studies are needed to further assess ictal theta power's role in predicting mood outcome and changes with ECT parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Miller
- Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
| | - Tom Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Joel Upston
- Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Zhi-De Deng
- Computational Neurostimulation Research Program, Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Shawn M McClintock
- Division of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Erik Erhardt
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Danielle Farrar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Christopher C Abbott
- Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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Fu Z, Abbott CC, Miller J, Deng ZD, McClintock SM, Sendi MSE, Sui J, Calhoun VD. Cerebro-cerebellar functional neuroplasticity mediates the effect of electric field on electroconvulsive therapy outcomes. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:43. [PMID: 36746924 PMCID: PMC9902462 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02312-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective treatment for severe depression and works by applying an electric current through the brain. The applied current generates an electric field (E-field) and seizure activity, changing the brain's functional organization. The E-field, which is determined by electrode placement (right unilateral or bitemporal) and pulse amplitude (600, 700, or 800 milliamperes), is associated with the ECT response. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the relationship between E-field, functional brain changes, and clinical outcomes of ECT are not well understood. Here, we investigated the relationships between whole-brain E-field (Ebrain, the 90th percentile of E-field magnitude in the brain), cerebro-cerebellar functional network connectivity (FNC), and clinical outcomes (cognitive performance and depression severity). A fully automated independent component analysis framework determined the FNC between the cerebro-cerebellar networks. We found a linear relationship between Ebrain and cognitive outcomes. The mediation analysis showed that the cerebellum to middle occipital gyrus (MOG)/posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) FNC mediated the effects of Ebrain on cognitive performance. In addition, there is a mediation effect through the cerebellum to parietal lobule FNC between Ebrain and antidepressant outcomes. The pair-wise t-tests further demonstrated that a larger Ebrain was associated with increased FNC between cerebellum and MOG and decreased FNC between cerebellum and PCC, which were linked with decreased cognitive performance. This study implies that an optimal E-field balancing the antidepressant and cognitive outcomes should be considered in relation to cerebro-cerebellar functional neuroplasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zening Fu
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | | | - Jeremy Miller
- Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Zhi-De Deng
- Computational Neurostimulation Research Program, Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Shawn M McClintock
- Division of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Mohammad S E Sendi
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Jing Sui
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
| | - Vince D Calhoun
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Qi S, Calhoun VD, Zhang D, Miller J, Deng ZD, Narr KL, Sheline Y, McClintock SM, Jiang R, Yang X, Upston J, Jones T, Sui J, Abbott CC. Links between electroconvulsive therapy responsive and cognitive impairment multimodal brain networks in late-life major depressive disorder. BMC Med 2022; 20:477. [PMID: 36482369 PMCID: PMC9733153 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-022-02678-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment for depression, ECT cognitive impairment remains a major concern. The neurobiological underpinnings and mechanisms underlying ECT antidepressant and cognitive impairment effects remain unknown. This investigation aims to identify ECT antidepressant-response and cognitive-impairment multimodal brain networks and assesses whether they are associated with the ECT-induced electric field (E-field) with an optimal pulse amplitude estimation. METHODS A single site clinical trial focused on amplitude (600, 700, and 800 mA) included longitudinal multimodal imaging and clinical and cognitive assessments completed before and immediately after the ECT series (n = 54) for late-life depression. Another two independent validation cohorts (n = 84, n = 260) were included. Symptom and cognition were used as references to supervise fMRI and sMRI fusion to identify ECT antidepressant-response and cognitive-impairment multimodal brain networks. Correlations between ECT-induced E-field within these two networks and clinical and cognitive outcomes were calculated. An optimal pulse amplitude was estimated based on E-field within antidepressant-response and cognitive-impairment networks. RESULTS Decreased function in the superior orbitofrontal cortex and caudate accompanied with increased volume in medial temporal cortex showed covarying functional and structural alterations in both antidepressant-response and cognitive-impairment networks. Volume increases in the hippocampal complex and thalamus were antidepressant-response specific, and functional decreases in the amygdala and hippocampal complex were cognitive-impairment specific, which were validated in two independent datasets. The E-field within these two networks showed an inverse relationship with HDRS reduction and cognitive impairment. The optimal E-filed range as [92.7-113.9] V/m was estimated to maximize antidepressant outcomes without compromising cognitive safety. CONCLUSIONS The large degree of overlap between antidepressant-response and cognitive-impairment networks challenges parameter development focused on precise E-field dosing with new electrode placements. The determination of the optimal individualized ECT amplitude within the antidepressant and cognitive networks may improve the treatment benefit-risk ratio. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02999269.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shile Qi
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China.
| | - Vince D Calhoun
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS) Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Daoqiang Zhang
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China
| | - Jeremy Miller
- Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Zhi-De Deng
- Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit, Experimental Therapeutics & Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Katherine L Narr
- Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yvette Sheline
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shawn M McClintock
- Division of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Rongtao Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Yang
- Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Joel Upston
- Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Tom Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jing Sui
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
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Yi S, Wang Z, Yang W, Huang C, Liu P, Chen Y, Zhang H, Zhao G, Li W, Fang J, Liu J. Neural activity changes in first-episode, drug-naïve patients with major depressive disorder after transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation treatment: A resting-state fMRI study. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1018387. [PMID: 36312012 PMCID: PMC9597483 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1018387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a disease with prominent individual, medical, and economic impacts. Drug therapy and other treatment methods (such as Electroconvulsive therapy) may induce treatment-resistance and have associated side effects including loss of memory, decrease of reaction time, and residual symptoms. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a novel and non-invasive treatment approach which stimulates brain structures with no side-effects. However, it remains little understood whether and how the neural activation is modulated by taVNS in MDD patients. Herein, we used the regional homogeneity (ReHo) to investigate the brain activity in first-episode, drug-naïve MDD patients after taVNS treatment. Materials and methods Twenty-two first-episode, drug-naïve MDD patients were enrolled in the study. These patients received the first taVNS treatment at the baseline time, and underwent resting-state MRI scanning twice, before and after taVNS. All the patients then received taVNS treatments for 4 weeks. The severity of depression was assessed by the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) at the baseline time and after 4-week’s treatment. Pearson analysis was used to assess the correlation between alterations of ReHo and changes of the HAMD scores. Two patients were excluded due to excessive head movement, two patients lack clinical data in the fourth week, thus, imaging analysis was performed in 20 patients, while correlation analysis between clinical and imaging data was performed in only 18 patients. Results There were significant differences in the ReHo values in first-episode, drug-naïve MDD patients between pre- or post- taVNS. The primary finding is that the patients exhibited a significantly lower ReHo in the left/right median cingulate cortex, the left precentral gyrus, the left postcentral gyrus, the right calcarine cortex, the left supplementary motor area, the left paracentral lobule, and the right lingual gyrus. Pearson analysis revealed a positive correlation between changes of ReHo in the right median cingulate cortex/the left supplementary motor area and changes of HAMD scores after taVNS. Conclusion The decreased ReHo were found after taVNS. The sensorimotor, limbic and visual-related brain regions may play an important role in understanding the underlying neural mechanisms and be the target brain regions in the further therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijie Yi
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhi Wang
- Department of Radiology, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenhan Yang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chuxin Huang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ping Liu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yanjing Chen
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Huiting Zhang
- MR Scientific Marketing, Siemens Healthineers Ltd., Wuhan, China
| | - Guangju Zhao
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Weihui Li
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
- *Correspondence: Jun Liu,
| | - Jiliang Fang
- Department of Radiology, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Jiliang Fang,
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
- Clinical Research Center for Medical Imaging in Hunan Province, Changsha, China
- Department of Radiology Quality Control Center, Changsha, China
- Weihui Li,
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McCall WV. Editor's Roundup for Issue 2 of 2022: Relationship of Baseline Cognition and Ictal Electroencephalogram to Electroconvulsive Therapy Clinical Outcomes, and Encouraging Data That Intensive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation May Relieve Suicidal Ideation. J ECT 2022; 38:69. [PMID: 35462385 DOI: 10.1097/yct.0000000000000855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- William V McCall
- From the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
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