Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Adolescent and Young Adult Psychiatry
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1447839

Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy on Inflammatory Markers and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents with Major Depressive Disorder

Provisionally accepted
Ning Du Ning Du 1Yvna Wang Yvna Wang 2Dandan Geng Dandan Geng 2Huan Chen Huan Chen 3Fengming Chen Fengming Chen 4Li Kuang Li Kuang 1,2*Jiamei Guo Jiamei Guo 2*
  • 1 Center for Mental Health, University-Town Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
  • 2 Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
  • 3 Dermatology and Cosmetic Center，University-Town Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
  • 4 Shiyan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shiyan, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objective:Limited research exists on the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD). This study investigates the effects of ECT on inflammatory markers in adolescents aged 13-18 suffering from severe MDD, evaluating its efficacy in modulating cellular inflammatory markers and ameliorating depressive symptoms. Methods:A cohort of 38 adolescents with severe MDD received standard antidepressant therapy along with 6-8 ECT sessions spanning two weeks. A control group of 29 age-matched, healthy individuals was also assessed for comparative purposes. The investigation measured variations in depressive symptomatology and inflammatory marker levels (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10) pre- and post-intervention. Results:Post-ECT, a substantial decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and IL-6) and an increase in the anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) were noted. Participants who responded to the treatment showed a significant decline in HAMD-17 scores, which accentuates ECT's therapeutic potential. Comparative analysis indicated a significant correlation between post-treatment inflammatory marker alterations and clinical improvement, implying that shifts in inflammatory state might serve as predictors of treatment response. Moreover, the mitigation of depressive symptoms exhibited a moderate correlation with post-treatment decrements in IL-1β and IL-6 levels, underscoring MDD's intricacy and ECT's comprehensive impact. Conclusion:.While initial inflammatory marker levels did not predict the response to ECT, the post-treatment measures appeared to be linked to clinical improvement. These findings suggest ECT's potential effectiveness in treating severe MDD in adolescents and point to the possible predictive value of inflammatory markers in therapeutic outcomes. The study contributes to our understanding of the biopsychosocial framework of MDD and indicates that ECT may be a viable treatment option for this population.

    Keywords: adolescents, Electroconvulsive Therapy, Major Depressive Disorder, Inflammatory markers, HAMD-17

    Received: 12 Jun 2024; Accepted: 07 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Du, Wang, Geng, Chen, Chen, Kuang and Guo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Li Kuang, Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
    Jiamei Guo, Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.