The theraputic mechanism of electroconvulsive therapy: using myelin map

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K16405
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
• Principal Investigator: Katsuki Asuka 産業医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (60566488)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 電気痙攣療法 / うつ病

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the theraputic mechanism of electroconvulsive therapy for treatment-resistant depression using brain imaging.
We did not show a significant change in the amount of myelin at the before and after electroconvulsive therapy.
The volumes of the left cornu Ammonis CA 3 and the granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus (GC-DG) region were significantly increased after 6 months of treatment with antidepressants compared with those at baseline. In the treatment of electroconvulsive therapy the volume change of the bilateral subiculum, molecular_layer, GC-ML-DG, CA3, CA4 region were significantly increased.

Free Research Field

Neuroimaging

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

治療抵抗性うつ病に有用な電気痙攣療法の抗うつメカニズムはまだ明らかとなっておらず、抗うつ薬による抗うつメカニズムとは異なっている可能性がある。本研究により、モノアミン仮説とは異なる抗うつ効果のメカニズムの一端が明らかとなることで今後のうつ病治療において、治療ターゲットや創薬ターゲットにつながる可能性がある。