TY - JOUR
T1 - The significance of the nitric oxide in electro-convulsive therapy
T2 - A proposed neurophysiological mechanism
AU - Rosen, Ytzhak
AU - Reznik, Ilya
AU - Sluvis, Ariel
AU - Kaplan, Desmond
AU - Mester, Roberto
PY - 2003/3/1
Y1 - 2003/3/1
N2 - Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is used to treat patients with major depressive disorder, manic episodes and other serious mental disorders. Virtually every neurotransmitter system is affected in ECT. The significance of the nitric oxide (NO), which has an established role as a neurotransmitter, neuromodulator, and an intraneuronal second messenger, in ECT is still not clear. We described the involvement of NO in long-term potentiation, the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor activity, regulation of cerebral blood flow, and the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and propose that this involvement is critical in ECT's efficiency, treatment refractoriness, and neuropsychological sequelae by its influences on these systems. Nitric oxide's significant role in other pathophysiological mechanisms has led to current therapeutic protocols and may be applicable in this setting.
AB - Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is used to treat patients with major depressive disorder, manic episodes and other serious mental disorders. Virtually every neurotransmitter system is affected in ECT. The significance of the nitric oxide (NO), which has an established role as a neurotransmitter, neuromodulator, and an intraneuronal second messenger, in ECT is still not clear. We described the involvement of NO in long-term potentiation, the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor activity, regulation of cerebral blood flow, and the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and propose that this involvement is critical in ECT's efficiency, treatment refractoriness, and neuropsychological sequelae by its influences on these systems. Nitric oxide's significant role in other pathophysiological mechanisms has led to current therapeutic protocols and may be applicable in this setting.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0306-9877(02)00419-X
DO - 10.1016/S0306-9877(02)00419-X
M3 - Review article
C2 - 12581624
AN - SCOPUS:0037372522
SN - 0306-9877
VL - 60
SP - 424
EP - 429
JO - Medical Hypotheses
JF - Medical Hypotheses
IS - 3
ER -