SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF ELECTROCONVULSIVE TREATMENT ON THE UPTAKE OF TC-99M EXAMETAZIME INTO BRAIN IN MAJOR DEPRESSION SHOWN WITH SINGLE-PHOTON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY

Fifteen patients with major depression who were being treated with bil ateral electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) were investigated before and 45 min after a single ECT using split-dose Single Photon Emission Tomo graphy (SPET or SPECT) with Tc-99m-Exametazime. All patients suffered from unipolar depressive illness and were rated on the Newcastle scale and with the 17-item Hamilton scale. They completed tests of orientat ion and verbal memory on the day of ECT. For comparison, verbal memory was also tested on the preceding day. The uptake of Tc-99m-Exametazim e was expressed relative to calcarine/occipital cortex. Significant de creases in tracer uptake were confined to the inferior anterior cingul ate cortex. The changes were correlated with the severity of depressiv e symptoms and more weakly with decrements of memory function produced by ECT; there was no significant correlation with stimulus intensity or electroencephalographic measures of seizure duration.