Abstract:
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment alternative for schizophrenia. Previous studies have
already indicated the possible effects of oxidative stress in this disorder. However, there have been no
previous studies evaluating the effects of ECT on the oxidative stress in these patients. We therefore aimed to
investigate the acute and chronic effects of ECT on serum levels of oxidant and antioxidant molecules in
schizophrenia patients (n= 28). The serum MDA and CAT levels of the patients with schizophrenia were
higher than that of the controls before ECT (n= 20) but there was no significant difference in the serum NO
and GSH levels of the patient groups compared to the controls. We found that the NO levels of the patients
were higher than the controls in the group experiencing their first episode but not in the chronic group. There
was a significant clinical improvement in the patients in terms of BPRS, SANS and SAPS reduction after the 9th
ECT, but not the 1st ECT. Serum MDA levels were significantly reduced compared to the baseline after the 9th
ECT session although there was no significant difference after the 1st session. Separate evaluation of the
patient groups revealed that the significant MDA decrease following ECT was in the patients experiencing
their first episode and not in the chronic group. No significant difference was noted in the serum levels of
other oxidant and antioxidant molecules after either the 1st or 9th ECT session. These results suggest that ECT
does not produce any negative effect on oxidative stress in patients with schizophrenia.
