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How does electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) affect brain structure? To explore this question, investigators obtained magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans before, during, and within a week after ECT was completed by 43 patients (mean age, 42) with major depressive episodes who were not taking antidepressants; 7 had bipolar disorder. The patients' mean score on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) was about 26. Thirty-two individuals without depression who underwent MRI scanning at similar intervals served as controls.
At baseline, bilateral hippocampal volumes were significantly smaller in patients than in controls. Over the course of ECT, hippocampal and amygdalar volumes increased significantly without a change in total brain vol…