Electroconvulsive therapy improves clinical manifestations of treatment-resistant depression without changing serum BDNF levels

Electroconvulsive therapy (Ed') is effective in treatment-resistant depression (TRD). It may act through intracellular process modulation, but its exact mechanism is still unknown. Animal research supports a neurotrophic effect for ECT. We aimed to investigate the association between changes in serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (sBDNF) levels and clinical improvement following Ed!' in patients with TRD. Twenty-one patients with TRD (2 men, 19 women; mean age, 63.5 years; S.D., 11.9) were assessed through the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and the Clinical Global Impressions scale, Severity (CGIs) before and after a complete Ed!' cycle. At the same time-points, patients underwent blood withdrawal for measuring sBDNF levels. ED' significantly reduced HDRS, BPRS, and CGIS scores, but not sBDNF levels. No significant correlation was found between sBDNF changes, and each of HDRS, BPRS, and CGIs score changes. sBDNF levels in TRD patients were low both at baseline and post-ED'. Our results do not support that improvements in TRD following ED' are mediated through increases in sBDNF levels. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.