Thalamic volume, resting-state activity, and their association with the efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy

Publication date: Available online 7 August 2019Source: Journal of Psychiatric ResearchAuthor(s): Akihiro Takamiya, Taishiro Kishimoto, Kuo-ching Liang, Yuri Terasawa, Shiro Nishikata, Ryosuke Tarumi, Kyosuke Sawada, Shunya Kurokawa, Jinichi Hirano, Bun Yamagata, Masaru MimuraAbstractElectroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective antidepressant treatment. Biological predictors of clinical outcome to ECT are valuable. We aimed to examine multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data that correlates to the efficacy of ECT. Structural and resting-state functional MRI data were acquired from 46 individuals (25 depressed individuals who received ECT, and 21 healthy controls). Whole-brain grey matter volume (GMV) and fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (fALFF) were investigated to identify brain regions associated with post-ECT Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) total scores. GMV and fALFF values were compared with those in healthy controls using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Remission was defined by HAM-D ≤7. A multiple regression analysis revealed that pretreatment smaller GMV in the left thalamus was associated with worse response to ECT (i.e. higher post-ECT HAM-D). Pretreatment higher fALFF in the right anterior insula, and lower fALFF in the left thalamus and the cerebellum were associated with worse outcomes. The left thalamus was identified in both GMV and fALFF analyses. Nonremitters showed significantly smaller thalamic GMV compared to ...
Source: Journal of Psychiatric Research - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research