Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective antidepressant treatment available, yet its mechanism of action remains not fully known.
In a rat, ECT is modelled as electroconvulsive stimulation (ECS). A protein in the rat brain, brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), was shown to have been affected by ECS. However, the specifics of how this occurs, and how this contributes to the antidepressant effects of ECS are unknown. We aim to use a hypothesis-free approach to observe the changes of ECS by studying its protein expression using mass spectrometry. This proteomics method will indicate proteins and pathways affected by ECS which we will be determined using statistical analyses and using independent validation (e.g. ELISA) of the findings. This will be related back to knowledge in brain protein changes in depression to get a more in depth view on the effectiveness on treating major depression using ECT.
A systematic review of the literature will be undertaken in the case this lab based project can not go ahead. This would investigate published relationships between BDNF and genes and proteins described after ECS/ECT to have a closer look at pathways implicated that could be related to major depression and explain the described effect with the aim to direct future research.
