ECT Biomarkers: New Proposed Study From Germany

Out on PubMed, from researchers in Germany, is this study:

Multiomics and blood-based biomarkers of electroconvulsive therapy in severe and treatment-resistant depression: study protocol of the DetECT study.

von Mücke-Heim IA, Pape JC, Grandi NC, Erhardt A, Deussing JM, Binder EB.Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2023 Aug 30. doi: 10.1007/s00406-023-01647-1. Online ahead of print.PMID: 37644215
The abstract is copied below:

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is commonly used to treat treatment-resistant depression (TRD). However, our knowledge of the ECT-induced molecular mechanisms causing clinical improvement is limited. To address this issue, we developed the single-center, prospective observational DetECT study ("Multimodal Biomarkers of ECT in TRD"; registered 18/07/2022, www.clinicalTrials.gov , NCT05463562). Its objective is to identify molecular, psychological, socioeconomic, and clinical biomarkers of ECT response in TRD. We aim to recruit n = 134 patients in 3 years. Over the course of 12 biweekly ECT sessions (± 7 weeks), participant blood is collected before and 1 h after the first and seventh ECT and within 1 week after the twelfth session. In pilot subjects (first n = 10), additional blood draws are performed 3 and 6 h after the first ECT session to determine the optimal post-ECT blood draw interval. In blood samples, multiomic analyses are performed focusing on genotyping, epigenetics, RNA sequencing, neuron-derived exosomes, purines, and immunometabolics. To determine clinical response and side effects, participants are asked weekly to complete four standardized self-rating questionnaires on depressive and somatic symptoms. Additionally, clinician ratings are obtained three times (weeks 1, 4, and 7) within structured clinical interviews. Medical and sociodemographic data are extracted from patient records. The multimodal data collected are used to perform the conventional statistics as well as mixed linear modeling to identify clusters that link biobehavioural measures to ECT response. The DetECT study can provide important insight into the complex mechanisms of ECT in TRD and a step toward biologically informed and data-driven-based ECT biomarkers.

Keywords: Biomarkers; Electroconvulsive therapy; Major depressive disorder; Multiomics; Treatment resistance.

The paper is here.
And from the text:




Here is an ambitious research proposal from researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry to look at blood biomarkers, behavioral scales and psychometrics in a moderately large ECT patient cohort.
I look forward to the successful completion of this project and the publication of what promise to be very interesting, and informative, data.

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