Abstract | BACKGROUND: To treat patients suffering from treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (TR-MDD), research has focused on electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and aerobic exercise training ( AET). Brain derived neurotrophic factor ( BDNF) seems to be key in MDD. The aims of the present study were therefore two-fold, to investigate in a three-arm interventional study the differential effects of ECT, ECT plus AET, and AET alone in patients suffering from TR-MDD on 1. depressive symptoms and 2. BDNF METHODS: 60 patients with TR-MDD (mean age: 31 years; 31.6% female patients) were randomly assigned either to the ECT, ECT + AET, or AET condition. The AET condition consisted of treadmill exercise for 30 min, three times a week. Both depression severity and BDNF levels were assessed at baseline and 4 weeks later. All patients were further treated with an SSRI standard medication. RESULTS:
BDNF levels increased over time in all three study conditions. After completion of the intervention program, the ECT group showed significantly higher BDNF levels compared to the ECT + AET and the AET conditions. Depressive symptoms decreased in all three conditions over time. The combination of ECT + AET led to a significantly greater decrease than in either the ECT or AET alone conditions. BDNF levels were not associated with symptoms of depression. CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of results suggests that ECT, AET and particularly their combination are promising directions for treatment patients suffering from TR-MDD, and that it remains unclear to what extent BDNF is key and a reliable biomarker for TR-MDD.
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Authors | Iraj Salehi, Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, Mohammad Haghighi, Leila Jahangard, Hafez Bajoghli, Markus Gerber, Uwe Pühse, Roumen Kirov, Edith Holsboer-Trachsler, Serge Brand |
Journal | Journal of psychiatric research
(J Psychiatr Res)
Vol. 57
Pg. 117-24
(Oct 2014)
ISSN: 1879-1379 [Electronic] England |
PMID | 25073431
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)
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Copyright | Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
Chemical References |
- Biomarkers
- Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
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Topics |
- Adult
- Biomarkers
(blood)
- Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
(blood)
- Depressive Disorder, Major
(psychology, therapy)
- Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant
(psychology, therapy)
- Electroconvulsive Therapy
(methods, psychology)
- Exercise
(psychology)
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Treatment Outcome
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