Study objective: The aim of this preliminary study is to investigate the regional blood flow in response to ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) and to identify any responsive-pattern to the treatment.
Study design: Single longitudinal prospective study of cohorts.
Subjects: For this preliminary study ten patients, female sex, mean age 70.8 years with major mood disorder (CID-10 investigation criteria) were studied after signature consent.
Interventions: The intervention consisted in the administration of bilateral brief pulse ECT three times a week, during 6 to 12 sessions according to the standards of the Psychiatric Department of the Santiago Hospital in Victoria.
Measurement: Clinical evaluation of depression was evaluated by Hamilton Depression Scale, Montgomery and Asberg Scale, Newcastle Scale and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using the HMPAO-SPECT.
Results: The pattern of distribution on the regional cerebral flow during the ECT showed changes from the basal pattern in all patients. All patients had a relative increased perfusion of the temporal lobes and basal ganglia. Other changes from the basal study were areas of decreased perfusion of the occipital lobe (6 patients) and parietal lobe (3 patients).
Conclusions: Brain perfusion SPECT study of the patients with major depression shows changes during ECT. Further analysis are needed to understand the relationship between mechanisms of treatment and recovery in affective illness.