oxidative metabolism in Unipolar depressive patients treated with Electroconvulsive Therapy

Unipolar depression (UD) is a psychiatric disorder, characterized with one or more major depressive episode without mania or hipomania. As the definitive causes of UD have not yet been understood, neurochemical, neuroanatomical disorders with genetic and environmental factors are discussed. Suicide implicated, drug resistant and psychotic UD cases are treated effectively with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). We aimed to study the effect of ECT on oxidative metabolism in patients with UD.Blood is taken from UD patients and control individuals. Serum samples were collected with proper technique. In these samples Total Antioxidant Status (TAS), Total Oxidant Status (TOS) levels were measured in Mega Medical Laboratory. Oxidative Stress Index (OSI) levels were calculated.In patient group TAS levels were lower than control group before ECT. In patient group TAS levels were significantly higher as compared before and after ECT. As compared TAS in patients after ECT and in control individuals no significant difference were found. These findings show that ECT may increase TAS levels in UD patients. No significant differences were found in TOS levels and OSI between patient and control groups before and after ECT.Keywords: Unipolar Depression, Electroconvulsive Therapy Oxidative Stress, Total Antioxidant Status, Total Oxidant Status