Effects of electroconvulsive therapy on pituitary hormones in depressed patients

Objective: The exact mechanism of the action of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has yet to be established. In this study, we aimed to test the hypotheses that ECT may cause acute alterations in pituitary hormones and that these hormonal responses to ECT may change throughout repeated ECT sessions.

Methods: Nineteen depressed inpatients (8 males, 11 females; mean age ± SD= 44.77 ± 10.59 years) were undergone to 7 ECT sessions under general anaesthesia using propofol (1mg/kg). During the first and seventh ECTs, blood samples were collected 1 min before (baseline) and 2 min after propofol, immediately after ECT, and 30 and 60 min after ECT for measurements of serum prolactin (PRL), adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), cortisol, growth hormone (GH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH).

Results: The results of the study confirmed that ECT had highly selective stimulatory effects on the release of PRL, ACTH and cortisol, but not on GH, FSH and LH. The hormonal responses to ECT did not change throughout ongoing ECT procedures, and did not differ between males and females.

Conclusions: Whether there is a causal relationship between these neuroendocrine responses and the therapeutic effect of ECT is remain uncertain.