# Title: Neurobiology of seizure generalization during electroconvulsive therapy for major depression

> **NIH NIH R03** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $79,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a highly effective treatment for severe depression and other mental health
conditions, yet how ECT changes the brain to ameliorate the symptoms of depression is not well understood.
Seizure generalization appears to be critical for successful antidepressant response to ECT, and stimulation
dose is adjusted to ensure an “adequate” seizure. Previous studies have linked seizure generalization during
ECT with thalamocortical regions, and our own MRI studies indicate that thalamocortical networks exhibit
neuroplasticity after treatment in patients who respond to ECT. Yet, despite recent growth in the number of
MRI studies measuring long-term neuroplasticity across ECT sessions, relatively less is known about the
neurobiology of seizure activity elicited during each session. The long-term goal of the proposed studies is to
understand how ECT-induced seizures change brain networks to treat depression. To address this goal, we
will take a data-driven, machine learning approach to pre-existing ECT-MRI datasets of patients with
depression, to identify the neurobiological features measured with MRI (functional connectivity, gray-matter
morphometry, electric fields) that optimally explain inter-patient variability in seizure indicators (seizure duration
and stimulation dose). Aim 1 will identify biomarkers of susceptibility to ECT-induced seizures by analyzing
pre-treatment MRI with respect to initial stimulation dose and seizure duration. Aim 2 studies will determine
how brain network plasticity over the course of ECT relates to changes in stimulation dose and duration of
ECT-induced seizures. These studies will further our understanding of therapeutic seizures in ECT, potentially
facilitating prediction of optimal dose and/or treatment outcome to improve ECT and minimize side effects.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9874504
- **Project number:** 1R03MH121769-01
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Amber Michelle Leaver
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $79,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-02-01 → 2021-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9874504

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9874504, Title: Neurobiology of seizure generalization during electroconvulsive therapy for major depression (1R03MH121769-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9874504. Licensed CC0.

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