Elevated serum vascular endothelial growth factor in treatment-resistant schizophrenia treated with electroconvulsive therapy: Positive association with therapeutic effects

Abstract

Objectives: As the name implies, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) enhances angiogenesis, promotes vascular permeability, and stimulates neurogenesis in the adult brain. Furthermore, animal model studies have shown that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which is primarily utilised in cases of treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS), regulates the expression of VEGF. The current study focuses largely on the effect of ECT on VEGF serum concentration, and the relationship between VEGF and therapeutic effects in patients diagnosed with TRS.

Methods: Participants comprised 40 TRS patients and 43 healthy controls. Clinical severity was assessed (i.e. 1 day before commencement of ECT and 1 day following ECT) using the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS). Blood samples were also collected for VEGF measurements at corresponding time points.

Results: Pre-treatment serum VEGF levels were significantly lower in TRS patients compared to healthy controls. VEGF concentrations increased significantly following ECT, whereas no difference was found in controls. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between the change in VEGF and therapeutic effects.

Conclusions: Elevated serum VEGF in TRS treated with ECT is positively associated with therapeutic effects, suggesting that alterations in VEGF levels may constitute an index by which to evaluate the improvement in clinical condition.

Keywords:

• Schizophrenia
• treatment-resistant schizophrenia
• vascular endothelial growth factor
• electroconvulsive therapy
• physical therapy

Acknowledgements

We thank the psychiatric inpatient unit of Wu Tai Shan Hospital of Yangzhou, China, We are grateful to the funding of this study. We also express our thanks to our colleagues, who assisted in subject recruitment in this study.

Statement of interest

None to declare.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this study was provided by Social Development Project by Science and Technology Bureau of Yangzhou City [No.·YZ2014215, YZ2014025], Medical scientific research project of Jiangsu Provincial Commission of Health and Family Planning [No. Z201522] and scientific research foundation of Jiangsu Provincial 333 Project [BRA2015541, BRA2016555].