Electroconvulsive therapy is associated with increased immunoreactivity of neuroplasticity markers in the hippocampus of depressed patients
Abstract Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective therapy for depression, but its cellular effects on the human brain remain elusive. In rodents, electroconvulsive shocks increase proliferation and the expression of plasticity markers in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG), suggesting increase...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Publishing Group
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Translational Psychiatry |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02658-1 |
| _version_ | 1827633047849140224 |
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| author | Dore Loef Indira Tendolkar Philip F. P. van Eijndhoven Jeroen J. M. Hoozemans Mardien L. Oudega Annemieke J. M. Rozemuller Paul J. Lucassen Annemiek Dols Anke A. Dijkstra |
| author_facet | Dore Loef Indira Tendolkar Philip F. P. van Eijndhoven Jeroen J. M. Hoozemans Mardien L. Oudega Annemieke J. M. Rozemuller Paul J. Lucassen Annemiek Dols Anke A. Dijkstra |
| author_sort | Dore Loef |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective therapy for depression, but its cellular effects on the human brain remain elusive. In rodents, electroconvulsive shocks increase proliferation and the expression of plasticity markers in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG), suggesting increased neurogenesis. Furthermore, MRI studies in depressed patients have demonstrated increases in DG volume after ECT, that were notably paralleled by a decrease in depressive mood scores. Whether ECT also triggers cellular plasticity, inflammation or possibly injury in the human hippocampus, was unknown. We here performed a first explorative, anatomical study on the human post-mortem hippocampus of a unique, well-documented cohort of bipolar or unipolar depressed patients, who had received ECT in the 5 years prior to their death. They were compared to age-matched patients with a depressive disorder who had not received ECT and to matched healthy controls. Upon histopathological examination, no indications were observed for major hippocampal cell loss, overt cytoarchitectural changes or classic neuropathology in these 3 groups, nor were obvious differences present in inflammatory markers for astrocytes or microglia. Whereas the numbers of proliferating cells expressing Ki-67 was not different, we found a significantly higher percentage of cells positive for Doublecortin, a marker commonly used for young neurons and cellular plasticity, in the subgranular zone and CA4 / hilus of the hippocampus of ECT patients. Also, the percentage of positive Stathmin 1 cells was significantly higher in the subgranular zone of ECT patients, indicating neuroplasticity. These first post-mortem observations suggest that ECT has no damaging effects but may rather have induced neuroplasticity in the DG of depressed patients. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:53:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4629a8ad8ddf42faa8f9766e2a1b3b28 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2158-3188 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:53:07Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Nature Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Translational Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-4629a8ad8ddf42faa8f9766e2a1b3b282023-11-26T14:19:13ZengNature Publishing GroupTranslational Psychiatry2158-31882023-11-0113111110.1038/s41398-023-02658-1Electroconvulsive therapy is associated with increased immunoreactivity of neuroplasticity markers in the hippocampus of depressed patientsDore Loef0Indira Tendolkar1Philip F. P. van Eijndhoven2Jeroen J. M. Hoozemans3Mardien L. Oudega4Annemieke J. M. Rozemuller5Paul J. Lucassen6Annemiek Dols7Anke A. Dijkstra8Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc, Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam NeuroscienceDepartment of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical CenterDepartment of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical CenterDepartment of Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical CentreAmsterdam UMC, location VUmc, Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam NeuroscienceDepartment of Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical CentreBrain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam UMC, location VUmc, Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam NeuroscienceMolecular Neuroscience Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of AmsterdamAbstract Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective therapy for depression, but its cellular effects on the human brain remain elusive. In rodents, electroconvulsive shocks increase proliferation and the expression of plasticity markers in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG), suggesting increased neurogenesis. Furthermore, MRI studies in depressed patients have demonstrated increases in DG volume after ECT, that were notably paralleled by a decrease in depressive mood scores. Whether ECT also triggers cellular plasticity, inflammation or possibly injury in the human hippocampus, was unknown. We here performed a first explorative, anatomical study on the human post-mortem hippocampus of a unique, well-documented cohort of bipolar or unipolar depressed patients, who had received ECT in the 5 years prior to their death. They were compared to age-matched patients with a depressive disorder who had not received ECT and to matched healthy controls. Upon histopathological examination, no indications were observed for major hippocampal cell loss, overt cytoarchitectural changes or classic neuropathology in these 3 groups, nor were obvious differences present in inflammatory markers for astrocytes or microglia. Whereas the numbers of proliferating cells expressing Ki-67 was not different, we found a significantly higher percentage of cells positive for Doublecortin, a marker commonly used for young neurons and cellular plasticity, in the subgranular zone and CA4 / hilus of the hippocampus of ECT patients. Also, the percentage of positive Stathmin 1 cells was significantly higher in the subgranular zone of ECT patients, indicating neuroplasticity. These first post-mortem observations suggest that ECT has no damaging effects but may rather have induced neuroplasticity in the DG of depressed patients.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02658-1 |
| spellingShingle | Dore Loef Indira Tendolkar Philip F. P. van Eijndhoven Jeroen J. M. Hoozemans Mardien L. Oudega Annemieke J. M. Rozemuller Paul J. Lucassen Annemiek Dols Anke A. Dijkstra Electroconvulsive therapy is associated with increased immunoreactivity of neuroplasticity markers in the hippocampus of depressed patients Translational Psychiatry |
| title | Electroconvulsive therapy is associated with increased immunoreactivity of neuroplasticity markers in the hippocampus of depressed patients |
| title_full | Electroconvulsive therapy is associated with increased immunoreactivity of neuroplasticity markers in the hippocampus of depressed patients |
| title_fullStr | Electroconvulsive therapy is associated with increased immunoreactivity of neuroplasticity markers in the hippocampus of depressed patients |
| title_full_unstemmed | Electroconvulsive therapy is associated with increased immunoreactivity of neuroplasticity markers in the hippocampus of depressed patients |
| title_short | Electroconvulsive therapy is associated with increased immunoreactivity of neuroplasticity markers in the hippocampus of depressed patients |
| title_sort | electroconvulsive therapy is associated with increased immunoreactivity of neuroplasticity markers in the hippocampus of depressed patients |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02658-1 |
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