Inflammation and Cognitive Functioning in Depressed Older Adults Treated With Electroconvulsive Therapy
Angela Carlier, Didi Rhebergen, Robert Veerhuis, Sigfried Schouws, Mardien L. Oudega, Piet Eikelenboom, Filip Bouckaert, Pascal Sienaert, Jasmien Obbels, Max L. Stek, Eric van Exel, Annemiek Dols
Abstract
Despite the effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), patients and practitioners are often reluctant to start it due to the risk of transient cognitive side effects, particularly in older patients. Inflammatory processes may be associated with the occurrence of these effects. This study assessed whether inflammatory markers prior to ECT are associated with cognitive functioning in depressed patients treated with ECT. ) referred for ECT were included. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores were used to determine cognitive functioning prior to, weekly during, and in the first week after a course of ECT. Serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were assessed prior to ECT. = 0.10). Associations with IL-6 did not reach significance. This study suggests that inflammatory processes are associated with lower cognitive functioning prior to ECT and predispose for further cognitive dysfunction during and after a course of ECT. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02667353.