Effects Of MECT Combined With SSRI Antidepressants On Neurotransmitters In Patients With Depression

Objective To analyze the difference in the effect of treatment with twitch-free electroconvulsive therapy(MECT)combined with selective 5-hydroxytryptamine reuptake inhibitor(SSRI)class antidepressants on neurotransmitter homeostasis in depressed patients versus treatment with SSRI class antidepressants alone by brain up and down mapping to provide further evidence for clinical treatment of depressed patients.Methods Sixty-eight patients with first-episode depression who attended the mental health center of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from November 2021 to January 2023 were selected as study subjects.They were divided into a test group and a control group according to randomized grouping.There was no statistically significant difference between the age and gender ratio of patients in the two groups,and the Hamilton depression(HAMD)scale scores of the two groups before treatment(P > 0.05).The test group was given MECT combined with medication,and MECT treatment was changed to once every other day after 3 consecutive days,with 8-12 times as a course of treatment,combined with SSRI antidepressants.The control group was given antidepressant drugs alone.The HAMD scale and brain elevation diagram before treatment,the HAMD scale,blood concentration and brain elevation diagram at the end of the 2nd and 4th week of treatment were evaluated in both groups,and the changes of neurotransmitters and treatment effects in both groups were analyzed.Results(1)The scores of HAMD scale in both groups were significantly lower at the end of 2nd and4 th week after treatment than before treatment,while the decrease of scale scores in the test group was more significant than that in the control group.(2)By comparing the relative power of neurotransmitters in the test and control groups before treatment,at the end of treatment week 2,and at the end of treatment week 4,it was found that γ-aminobutyric acid(GABA)and glutamate(Glu)gradually decreased at the end of treatment week 2 and treatment week 4,and 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT),acetylcholine(Ach),dopamine(DA),and norepinephrine(NE)gradually increased at the end of treatment week 2 and treatment week 4.The gradual increase was observed at the end of the 4th week of treatment.By comparing the relative power changes of neurotransmitters between the test group and the control group at three time points,including before treatment,at the end of the second week of treatment,and at the end of the fourth week of treatment,it was found that there was no significant difference between the two groups in the individual neurotransmitters before treatment.The effect of neurotransmitter modulation was more significant in the test group than in the control group at the end of the 2nd and 4th week of treatment.Conclusion(1)This study found that depressed patients may have abnormal neurotransmitters prior to treatment.(2)Depression can be treated with antidepressant medication to regulate neurotransmitter disorders and alleviate symptoms to some extent.(3)The effect of MECT combined with antidepressant medication in improving depressive symptoms and regulating neurotransmitter disorders was more significant than that of antidepressant medication alone.