Effects of electroconvulsive therapy on regional cerebral blood flow measured by ⁹⁹m technetium HMPAO SPECT

Decreased cerebral blood flow is documented in depression. In this study, 15 patients were studied with 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT before and after a course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Improvement in frontal and temporal hypoperfusion was seen only in those patients who responded to ECT. Cerebral hypoperfusion may be a state-dependent marker in depressive illness.