Ase. Mokhtar et al., NO EARLY EFFECTS OF ELECTROCONVULSIVE-THERAPY ON TRYPTOPHAN-METABOLISM AND DISPOSITION IN ENDOGENOUS-DEPRESSION, Biological psychiatry, 42(3), 1997, pp. 201-205
The possibility that a single electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) could in
crease tryptophan (Trp) availability to the brain for 5-hydroxytryptam
ine (5-HT, serotonin) synthesis was examined in 10 depressed patients
before and during the 1st hour following an ECT and in 4 control (mino
r ear, nose, and throat surgical) subjects receiving similar premedica
tion. Trp availability to the brain, expressed as the serum Trp: compe
ting amino acid ratio, and related aspects of Trp disposition were nor
significantly altered by ECT and differently than from preoperative s
tress and premedication. We suggest that Trp availability to the brain
and, hence, cerebral 5-HT synthesis are not altered in depressed pati
ents early after a single ECT. (C) 1997 Society of Biological Psychiat
ry.