Abstract:An imbalance between cholinergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission has been proposed for the etiology of affective disorders. According to this hypothesis, depression would be the result of enhanced cholinergic and reduced noradrenergic neurotransmission. Repeated electroconvulsive shock (ECS) is an effective treatment for depression; moreover, in laboratory animals it induces changes in brain noradrenergic neurotransmission similar to those obtained by chronic treatment with antidepressant drugs (down-regul… Show more
“…With regard to the cholinergic system, previous studies examined postictal brains in rats and revealed a decrease in the number of muscarinic binding sites without compensatory increase in the affinity of the ligand for this receptor. Also, significant reductions in acetylcholine levels and an increased activity of the enzyme choline acetyltransferase directly after ECT were seen (Longoni et al ., ; Camarini and Benedito, ). These pathophysiological findings support the hypothesis that acetylcholine is involved in cognitive side effects induced by ECT.…”
“…With regard to the cholinergic system, previous studies examined postictal brains in rats and revealed a decrease in the number of muscarinic binding sites without compensatory increase in the affinity of the ligand for this receptor. Also, significant reductions in acetylcholine levels and an increased activity of the enzyme choline acetyltransferase directly after ECT were seen (Longoni et al ., ; Camarini and Benedito, ). These pathophysiological findings support the hypothesis that acetylcholine is involved in cognitive side effects induced by ECT.…”
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.