Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T06:44:56.343Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy on Plasma Insulin and Glucose in Depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Karen Williams ,
Jeanette Smith ,
Paul Glue  and
David Nutt
Karen Williams
Affiliation:
Coney Hill Hospital, Gloucester, All Saints Hospital, Birmingham
Jeanette Smith
Affiliation:
Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Exeter
Paul Glue
Affiliation:
Psychopharmacology Unit, University of Bristol
David Nutt*
Affiliation:
Psychopharmacology Unit, University of Bristol, School of Medical Sciences, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD
*
∗Correspondence
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The effects of ECT on plasma insulin and glucose were assessed in 20 depressed patients, during the first, third and fifth session of ECT. After each administration of ECT there was a significant rise in blood glucose and plasma insulin levels, both of which peaked at 15 minutes. Insulin responses tended to attenuate over the course of ECT, whereas the glucose responses were similar for all three treatments. ECT was effective in all patients, although two months after the last treatment nine patients had partially relapsed (Hamilton score > 15). Those who relapsed had a more attenuated insulin response at the fifth treatment than those who had remained well, which suggests that insulin response to ECT may be predictive of clinical outcome.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 161 , Issue 1 , July 1992 , pp. 94 - 98
Copyright
Copyright © 1992 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Psychiatric Association (1987) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edn, revised) (DSM–III–R). Washington, DC: APA.Google Scholar
Berger, J., Biswas, C., Vicario, P. P. et al (1989) Decreased expression of the insulin-responsive glucose transporter in diabetes and fasting. Nature, 340, 70–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Berrios, G. E., Bulbena, A., Martinez, A. R., et al (1986) Significant rise in plasma insulin after electroconvulsive therapy. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 74, 222–224.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carney, M. W. P., Roth, M. & Garside, R. F. (1965) The diagnosis of depression syndromes and the prediction of ECT response. British Journal of Psychiatry, 111, 659–674.Google Scholar
Curry, D. L., Bennett, L. L. & Li, C. H. (1987) Stimulation of insulin secretion by beta-endorphins. Life Sciences, 40, 2053–2058.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Erle, G., Basso, M. & Federspil, G. (1977) The effect of chlorpromazine on blood glucose and plasma insulin. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 11, 15–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fakhri, O., Fadhli, A. A. & el Rawi, R. M. (1980) Effect of electroconvulsive therapy on diabetes mellitus. Lancet, 2, 775.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Finestone, D. H. & Weiner, R. D. (1984) Effects of ECT on diabetes mellitus. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 70, 321–326.Google Scholar
Giugliano, D., Ceriello, A., Salvatore, T., et al (1987) β-endorphin infusion restores acute insulin responses to glucose in type-2 diabetes mellitus. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 64, 944–948.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gravenstein, J. S., Anton, A. H., Wiener, S. M., et al (1965) Catecholamine and cardiovascular response to electroconvulsion therapy in man. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 37, 833–839.Google Scholar
Hamilton, M. (1960) A rating scale for depression. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 23, 56–62.Google Scholar
Kalinowsky, L. B. & Hoch, P. H. (1961) Somatic Treatments in Psychiatry. New York: Grune & Stratton.Google Scholar
Koslow, S. H., Stokes, P. E., Mendels, J., et al (1982) Insulin tolerance test: human growth hormone response and insulin resistance in primary unipolar depressed, bipolar depressed and control subjects. Psychological Medicine, 12, 45–55.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maudsley, H. (1899) The Pathology of the Mind. New York: Appleton.Google Scholar
Muller, P. S., Heninger, G. R. & McDonald, R. K. (1969) Insulin tolerance test in depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 21, 587–593.Google Scholar
Nakra, B. R. S., Rutland, P., Verma, S., et al (1977) Amitriptytine and weight gain: a biochemical and endocrinological study. Current Medical Research and Opinion, 4, 602–606.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nutt, D. J., Gleiter, C. H. & Linnoila, M. (1988) Repeated electroconvulsive shock normalizes blood glucose levels in genetically obese mice (C57BL/6J ob/ob) but not in genetically diabetic mice (C57BL/KsJ db/db). Brain Research, 448, 377–380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paykel, E. S., Muller, P. S. & de la Vbrone, P. M. (1973) Amitriptytine, weight gain, and carbohydrate craving: a side effect. British Journal of Psychiatry, 123, 501–507.Google Scholar
Rinaman, L. & Missus, R. R. (1987) The organization of vagal innervation of rat pancreas using cholera toxin-horseradish peroxidase conjugate. Journal of the Autonomic Nervous System, 21, 109–125.Google Scholar
Schlach, D. S. (1967) The influence of physical stress and exercise on growth hormone and insulin secretion in man. Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine, 69, 256–267.Google Scholar
Scott, A. I. F., Whallby, L. J., Bennie, J., et al (1986) Oestrogen-stimulated neurophysin and outcome after electroconvulsive therapy. Lancet, i, 1411–1414.Google Scholar
Sorensen, P. S., Hammer, M. & Bolwig, T. G. (1982) Vasopressin release during electroconvulsive therapy. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 7, 303–308.Google Scholar
Weizman, I. G., Grupper, D., Tyano, S., et al (1987) The effect of acute and repeated electroconvulsive treatment on plasma beta-endorphin, growth hormone, prolactin and Cortisol secretion in depressed patients. Psychopharmacology, 93, 122–126.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Whalley, L. J., Eagles, J. M., Bowler, G. M. R., et al (1987) Selective effects of ECT on hypothalamic–pituitary activity. Psychological Medicine, 17, 319–328.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Winokur, A., Maisun, M. S., Phillips, J. L., et al (1988) Insulin resistance after oral glucose tolerance testing in patients with major depression. American Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 325–330.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.