NCT04059952

Mechanism of Action of Electroconvulsive Therapy

• Status: Completed
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 102 (actual)
• Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This is an observational neuroimaging study assessing the effects of ECT on the brains of patients with unipolar and bipolar depression.

Detailed description

This project aims to use functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) to study patients with unipolar and bipolar depression receiving ECT. Patients will be scanned before and after a full course of ECT and clinical measures for depression severity and memory will be obtained at the same times.The project has the following aims and hypothesis: (1) to determine the therapeutic antidepressant mechanism of action of ECT at the circuit level (2) to determine the mechanism of action of iatrogenic amnesia caused by ECT at the circuit level (3) to study the use of fcMRI as a state biomarker for depression (4) to study the use of fcMRI as a predictor of response for depression.

Conditions

• Unipolar Depression
• Bipolar Depression

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Electroconvulsive Therapy	Electrical currents are passed through the brain to intentionally trigger a controlled seizure in order to produce a therapeutic change in neuro-chemistry and circuitry.

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-06-28
• Primary completion: 2024-05-31
• Completion: 2024-05-31
• First posted: 2019-08-16
• Last updated: 2025-06-12

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated device study