Cerebral and Brain Stem Changes After ECT Revealed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Abstract

Nuclear magnetic resonance images of the brain were obtained in fourteen patients with major depression during a course of ECT. The T1 relaxation time rose immediately after the fit, reaching a maximum 4-6 h later. The T1 values then returned to their original level; no long-term increase occurred over the course of treatment. These results are consistent with an extensive but temporary breakdown of the blood-brain barrier during ECT.