LOCALIZED PROTON AND PHOSPHORUS MAGNETIC-RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY FOLLOWING ELECTROCONVULSIVE-THERAPY

Animal studies show that cerebral lactate increases after electrically induced seizures. We investigated three adult psychiatric patients by means of localized proton and phosphorous magnetic resonance spectros copy in order to evaluate if such effects can be observed after electr oconvulsive therapy (ECT). None of the patients had changes in cerebra l energy metabolism following ECT. Within the limitations of in-vivo s pectroscopy in a clinical setting, our results suggest that if lactate production increases after ECT, this effect is either very short or i ncreased perfusion causes an efficient efflux of cerebral lactate.