The effect of electroconvulsive therapy on plasma β-endorphin

The data demonstrate an ECT-induced 76% increase in plasma β-endorphin immunoreactivity in a group of seven depressed patients. The authors found the increase to be transient, falling an average of 9 pg/ml in 20 min and returning to baseline when measured prior to the subsequent ECT 48 hr later. With subsequent electroconvulsive treatments, there were no significant longitudinal increases noted either in average baseline β-endorphin levels or in average levels 5 and 20 min following ECT.