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Wealthy nations best price generic propecia must do much more, much faster.The United Nations General Assembly in September 2021 will bring countries together at a critical time for marshalling collective action to tackle the global environmental crisis. They will meet again at the biodiversity summit in Kunming, China, and the climate conference (Conference of the Parties best price generic propecia (COP)26) in Glasgow, UK. Ahead of these pivotal meetings, we—the editors of health journals worldwide—call for urgent action to keep average global temperature increases below 1.5°C, halt the destruction of nature and protect health.Health is already being harmed by global temperature increases and the destruction of the natural world, a state of affairs health professionals have been bringing attention to for decades.1 The science is unequivocal. A global increase of 1.5°C above the preindustrial average and the continued loss of biodiversity risk catastrophic harm to health that will be impossible to reverse.2 3 Despite the world’s necessary preoccupation with hair loss treatment, we cannot wait for the propecia to pass to rapidly reduce emissions.Reflecting best price generic propecia the severity of the moment, this editorial appears in health journals across the world.

We are united in recognising that only fundamental and equitable changes to societies will reverse our current trajectory.The risks to health of increases above 1.5°C are now well established.2 best price generic propecia Indeed, no temperature rise is ‘safe’. In the past 20 years, heat-related mortality among people aged over 65 has increased by more than 50%.4 Higher temperatures have brought increased dehydration and renal function loss, dermatological malignancies, tropical s, adverse mental health outcomes, pregnancy complications, allergies, and cardiovascular and pulmonary morbidity and mortality.5 6 Harms disproportionately affect the most vulnerable, including children, older populations, ethnic minorities, poorer communities and those with underlying health problems.2 4Global heating is also contributing to the decline in global yield potential for major crops, falling by 1.8%–5.6% since 1981. This, together with the effects of extreme weather and soil depletion, is hampering efforts to reduce undernutrition.4 Thriving ecosystems are essential to human health, and the widespread destruction of nature, including habitats and species, is eroding water and food security and increasing the chance of propecias.3 7 8The consequences of the environmental crisis fall disproportionately on those countries and communities that have contributed least to the problem and are best price generic propecia least able to mitigate the harms. Yet no country, no matter how wealthy, can shield itself from these impacts.

Allowing the consequences to fall disproportionately on the most vulnerable will breed best price generic propecia more conflict, food insecurity, forced displacement and zoonotic disease, with severe implications for all countries and communities. As with the hair loss treatment propecia, we are globally as strong as our weakest member.Rises above 1.5°C increase the best price generic propecia chance of reaching tipping points in natural systems that could lock the world into an acutely unstable state. This would critically impair our ability to mitigate harms and to prevent catastrophic, runaway environmental change.9 10Global targets are not enoughEncouragingly, many governments, financial institutions and businesses are setting targets to reach net-zero emissions, including targets for 2030. The cost of best price generic propecia renewable energy is dropping rapidly.

Many countries are aiming to protect at least 30% of the best price generic propecia world’s land and oceans by 2030.11These promises are not enough. Targets are easy to set and hard to achieve. They are yet to be matched with credible short-term and longer-term best price generic propecia plans to accelerate cleaner technologies and transform societies. Emissions reduction plans do not adequately incorporate health considerations.12 Concern is growing that temperature rises above 1.5°C are beginning to be seen as inevitable, or even acceptable, to powerful members of the global community.13 Relatedly, current strategies for reducing emissions to net zero by the middle of the century implausibly assume that the world will acquire great capabilities to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.14 15This insufficient action means that temperature increases are likely to be well in excess of 2°C,16 a catastrophic outcome for health and environmental stability.

Critically, the destruction of nature does not have parity of esteem with the climate element of the crisis, and every single global target to restore biodiversity loss by 2020 was missed.17 This is an overall environmental crisis.18Health professionals are united with environmental scientists, businesses and many others best price generic propecia in rejecting that this outcome is inevitable. More can and must be done now—in Glasgow and Kunming—and best price generic propecia in the immediate years that follow. We join health professionals worldwide who have already supported calls for rapid action.1 19Equity must be at the centre of the global response. Contributing a fair share to the global effort means that reduction commitments must account for best price generic propecia the cumulative, historical contribution each country has made to emissions, as well as its current emissions and capacity to respond.

Wealthier countries will have to cut emissions more quickly, making reductions by 2030 beyond those currently proposed20 21 and reaching net-zero emissions before 2050. Similar targets and emergency action are needed for biodiversity loss and the wider destruction of the natural world.To best price generic propecia achieve these targets, governments must make fundamental changes to how our societies and economies are organised and how we live. The current strategy of best price generic propecia encouraging markets to swap dirty for cleaner technologies is not enough. Governments must intervene to support the redesign of transport systems, cities, production and distribution of food, markets for financial investments, health systems, and much more.

Global coordination is needed to ensure that the rush for cleaner technologies does not come at the cost of more environmental destruction and human exploitation.Many governments best price generic propecia met the threat of the hair loss treatment propecia with unprecedented funding. The environmental crisis demands a similar emergency response best price generic propecia. Huge investment will be needed, beyond what is being considered or delivered anywhere in the world. But such investments will produce huge best price generic propecia positive health and economic outcomes.

These include high-quality jobs, reduced air pollution, increased physical activity, and improved housing and diet. Better air quality alone would realise health benefits that easily offset the global costs of emissions reductions.22These measures will also improve the social and economic determinants of health, the poor state of which may have made populations more vulnerable to the hair loss treatment propecia.23 But the changes cannot be achieved through a return to damaging austerity policies or the continuation of the large inequalities of wealth and power within and between countries.Cooperation hinges on wealthy nations doing moreIn particular, countries that have disproportionately created the environmental crisis must do more to support low-income and middle-income countries to build cleaner, healthier and more best price generic propecia resilient societies. High-income countries must meet and go beyond their outstanding commitment to provide $100 billion a year, making up for any shortfall in 2020 and increasing contributions to and beyond 2025 best price generic propecia. Funding must be equally split between mitigation and adaptation, including improving the resilience of health systems.Financing should be through grants rather than loans, building local capabilities and truly empowering communities, and should come alongside forgiving large debts, which constrain the agency of so many low-income countries.

Additional funding must be marshalled to compensate for inevitable loss and damage caused by the consequences best price generic propecia of the environmental crisis.As health professionals, we must do all we can to aid the transition to a sustainable, fairer, resilient and healthier world. Alongside acting to reduce the harm from the environmental crisis, we should proactively contribute to global prevention of further damage and action on the root causes of the crisis. We must hold global leaders to best price generic propecia account and continue to educate others about the health risks of the crisis. We must join in the work to achieve environmentally sustainable health systems before 2040, recognising that this will best price generic propecia mean changing clinical practice.

Health institutions have already divested more than $42 billion of assets from fossil fuels. Others should join them.4The greatest threat to global public health is the continued failure of best price generic propecia world leaders to keep the global temperature rise below 1.5°C and to restore nature. Urgent, society-wide changes must be made and will lead to a fairer best price generic propecia and healthier world. We, as editors of health journals, call for governments and other leaders to act, marking 2021 as the year that the world finally changes course.Ethics statementsPatient consent for publicationNot required.AbstractPhenome-wide association study (PheWAS) has been increasingly used to identify novel genetic associations across a wide spectrum of phenotypes.

This systematic review aims to summarise the PheWAS methodology, discuss the advantages and best price generic propecia challenges of PheWAS, and provide potential implications for future PheWAS studies. Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE) and Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE) databases were searched to identify all published PheWAS studies up until 24 April 2021. The PheWAS methodology incorporating how to perform PheWAS best price generic propecia analysis and which software/tool could be used, were summarised based on the extracted information. A total of best price generic propecia 1035 studies were identified and 195 eligible articles were finally included.

Among them, 137 (77.0%) contained 10 000 or more study participants, 164 (92.1%) defined the phenome based on electronic medical records data, 140 (78.7%) used genetic variants as predictors, and 73 (41.0%) conducted replication analysis to validate PheWAS findings and almost all of them (94.5%) received consistent results. The methodology applied in these PheWAS studies was dissected into several critical best price generic propecia steps, including quality control of the phenome, selecting predictors, phenotyping, statistical analysis, interpretation and visualisation of PheWAS results, and the workflow for performing a PheWAS was established with detailed instructions on each step. This study provides a comprehensive overview of PheWAS methodology to help practitioners achieve a better understanding of the PheWAS design, to detect understudied or overstudied outcomes, and to direct their research by applying the most appropriate software and online tools for their study data structure.genetic association studiesmolecular epidemiologypublic health.

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How to when will generic propecia be available find more info cite this article:Singh O P. Aftermath of celebrity suicide – Media coverage and role of psychiatrists. Indian J Psychiatry when will generic propecia be available 2020;62:337-8Celebrity suicide is one of the highly publicized events in our country. Indians got a glimpse of this following an unfortunate incident where a popular Hindi film actor died of suicide. As expected, the media went into a frenzy as newspapers, news when will generic propecia be available channels, and social media were full of stories providing minute details of the suicidal act.

Some even going as far as highlighting the color of the cloth used in the suicide as well as showing the lifeless body of the actor. All kinds of personal details were dug up, and speculations and hypotheses became the order of the day in the next few days that followed. In the process, reputations of many people associated with the actor were besmirched and their private and personal details when will generic propecia be available were freely and blatantly broadcast and discussed on electronic, print, and social media. We understand that media houses have their own need and duty to report and sensationalize news for increasing their visibility (aka TRP), but such reporting has huge impacts on the mental health of the vulnerable population.The impact of this was soon realized when many incidents of copycat suicide were reported from all over the country within a few days of the incident. Psychiatrists suddenly started getting when will generic propecia be available distress calls from their patients in despair with increased suicidal ideation.

This has become a major area of concern for the psychiatry community.The Indian Psychiatric Society has been consistently trying to engage with media to promote ethical reporting of suicide. Section 24 when will generic propecia be available (1) of Mental Health Care Act, 2017, forbids publication of photograph of mentally ill person without his consent.[1] The Press Council of India has adopted the guidelines of World Health Organization report on Preventing Suicide. A resource for media professionals, which came out with an advisory to be followed by media in reporting cases of suicide. It includes points forbidding them from putting stories in prominent positions and unduly repeating them, explicitly describing the method used, providing details about the site/location, using sensational headlines, or using photographs and video footage of the incident.[2] Unfortunately, the advisory seems to have little effect in the aftermath of celebrity suicides. Channels were full of when will generic propecia be available speculations about the person's mental condition and illness and also his relationships and finances.

Many fictional accounts of his symptoms and illness were touted, which is not only against the ethics but is also contrary to MHCA, 2017.[1]It went to the extent that the name of his psychiatrist was mentioned and quotes were attributed to him without taking any account from him. The Indian Psychiatric Society has written to the Press Council of India underlining this concern and asking for measures to ensure ethics in reporting suicide.While when will generic propecia be available there is a need for engagement with media to make them aware of the grave impact of negative suicide reporting on the lives of many vulnerable persons, there is even a more urgent need for training of psychiatrists regarding the proper way of interaction with media. This has been amply brought out in the aftermath of this incident. Many psychiatrists and mental health professionals were called by media houses to comment on when will generic propecia be available the episode. Many psychiatrists were quoted, or “misquoted,” or “quoted out of context,” commenting on the life of a person whom they had never examined and had no “professional authority” to do so.

There were even stories with byline of a psychiatrist where the content provided was not only unscientific but also way beyond the expertise of a psychiatrist. These types of viewpoints perpetuate stigma, myths, and “misleading concepts” about psychiatry and are detrimental to the image of psychiatry in addition to doing harm and injustice when will generic propecia be available to our patients. Hence, the need to formulate a guideline for interaction of psychiatrists with the media is imperative.In the infamous Goldwater episode, 12,356 psychiatrists were asked to cast opinion about the fitness of Barry Goldwater for presidential candidature. Out of 2417 when will generic propecia be available respondents, 1189 psychiatrists reported him to be mentally unfit while none had actually examined him.[3] This led to the formulation of “The Goldwater Rule” by the American Psychiatric Association in 1973,[4] but we have witnessed the same phenomenon at the time of presidential candidature of Donald Trump.Psychiatrists should be encouraged to interact with media to provide scientific information about mental illnesses and reduction of stigma, but “statements to the media” can be a double-edged sword, and we should know about the rules of engagements and boundaries of interactions. Methods and principles of interaction with media should form a part of our training curriculum.

Many professional societies have guidelines and resource books for interacting with media, and psychiatrists should familiarize themselves with these when will generic propecia be available documents. The Press Council guideline is likely to prompt reporters to seek psychiatrists for their expert opinion. It is useful for them to have a template ready with suicide rates, emphasizing multicausality of suicide, role of mental disorders, as well as help available.[5]It is about time that the Indian Psychiatric Society formulated its own guidelines laying down the broad principles and boundaries governing the interaction of Indian psychiatrists with the media. Till then, when will generic propecia be available it is desirable to be guided by the following broad principles:It should be assumed that no statement goes “off the record” as the media person is most likely recording the interview, and we should also record any such conversation from our endIt should be clarified in which capacity comments are being made – professional, personal, or as a representative of an organizationOne should not comment on any person whom he has not examinedPsychiatrists should take any such opportunity to educate the public about mental health issuesThe comments should be justified and limited by the boundaries of scientific knowledge available at the moment. References Correspondence Address:Dr.

O P SinghAA 304, Ashabari Apartments, when will generic propecia be available O/31, Baishnabghata, Patuli Township, Kolkata - 700 094, West Bengal IndiaSource of Support. None, Conflict of Interest. NoneDOI. 10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_816_20Abstract Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective modality of treatment for a variety of psychiatric disorders. However, it has always been accused of being a coercive, unethical, and dangerous modality of treatment.

The dangerousness of ECT has been mainly attributed to its claimed ability to cause brain damage. This narrative review aims to provide an update of the evidence with regard to whether the practice of ECT is associated with damage to the brain. An accepted definition of brain damage remains elusive. There are also ethical and technical problems in designing studies that look at this question specifically. Thus, even though there are newer technological tools and innovations, any review attempting to answer this question would have to take recourse to indirect methods.

These include structural, functional, and metabolic neuroimaging. Body fluid biochemical marker studies. And follow-up studies of cognitive impairment and incidence of dementia in people who have received ECT among others. The review of literature and present evidence suggests that ECT has a demonstrable impact on the structure and function of the brain. However, there is a lack of evidence at present to suggest that ECT causes brain damage.Keywords.

Adverse effect, brain damage, electroconvulsive therapyHow to cite this article:Jolly AJ, Singh SM. Does electroconvulsive therapy cause brain damage. An update. Indian J Psychiatry 2020;62:339-53 Introduction Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as a modality of treatment for psychiatric disorders has existed at least since 1938.[1] ECT is an effective modality of treatment for various psychiatric disorders. However, from the very beginning, the practice of ECT has also faced resistance from various groups who claim that it is coercive and harmful.[2] While the ethical aspects of the practice of ECT have been dealt with elsewhere, the question of harmfulness or brain damage consequent upon the passage of electric current needs to be examined afresh in light of technological advances and new knowledge.[3]The question whether ECT causes brain damage was reviewed in a holistic fashion by Devanand et al.

In the mid-1990s.[4],[5] The authors had attempted to answer this question by reviewing the effect of ECT on the brain in various areas – cognitive side effects, structural neuroimaging studies, neuropathologic studies of patients who had received ECT, autopsy studies of epileptic patients, and finally animal ECS studies. The authors had concluded that ECT does not produce brain damage.This narrative review aims to update the evidence with regard to whether ECT causes brain damage by reviewing relevant literature from 1994 to the present time. Framing the Question The Oxford Dictionary defines damage as physical harm that impairs the value, usefulness, or normal function of something.[6] Among medical dictionaries, the Peter Collins Dictionary defines damage as harm done to things (noun) or to harm something (verb).[7] Brain damage is defined by the British Medical Association Medical Dictionary as degeneration or death of nerve cells and tracts within the brain that may be localized to a particular area of the brain or diffuse.[8] Going by such a definition, brain damage in the context of ECT should refer to death or degeneration of brain tissue, which results in the impairment of functioning of the brain. The importance of precisely defining brain damage shall become evident subsequently in this review.There are now many more tools available to investigate the structure and function of brain in health and illness. However, there are obvious ethical issues in designing human studies that are designed to answer this specific question.

Therefore, one must necessarily take recourse to indirect evidences available through studies that have been designed to answer other research questions. These studies have employed the following methods:Structural neuroimaging studiesFunctional neuroimaging studiesMetabolic neuroimaging studiesBody fluid biochemical marker studiesCognitive impairment studies.While the early studies tended to focus more on establishing the safety of ECT and finding out whether ECT causes gross microscopic brain damage, the later studies especially since the advent of advanced neuroimaging techniques have been focusing more on a mechanistic understanding of ECT. Hence, the primary objective of the later neuroimaging studies has been to look for structural and functional brain changes which might explain how ECT acts rather than evidence of gross structural damage per se. However, put together, all these studies would enable us to answer our titular question to some satisfaction. [Table 1] and [Table 2] provide an overview of the evidence base in this area.

Structural and Functional Neuroimaging Studies Devanand et al. Reviewed 16 structural neuroimaging studies on the effect of ECT on the brain.[4] Of these, two were pneumoencephalography studies, nine were computed tomography (CT) scan studies, and five were magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies. However, most of these studies were retrospective in design, with neuroimaging being done in patients who had received ECT in the past. In the absence of baseline neuroimaging, it would be very difficult to attribute any structural brain changes to ECT. In addition, pneumoencephalography, CT scan, and even early 0.3 T MRI provided images with much lower spatial resolution than what is available today.

The authors concluded that there was no evidence to show that ECT caused any structural damage to the brain.[4] Since then, at least twenty more MRI-based structural neuroimaging studies have studied the effect of ECT on the brain. The earliest MRI studies in the early 1990s focused on detecting structural damage following ECT. All of these studies were prospective in design, with the first MRI scan done at baseline and a second MRI scan performed post ECT.[9],[11],[12],[13],[41] While most of the studies imaged the patient once around 24 h after receiving ECT, some studies performed multiple post ECT neuroimaging in the first 24 h after ECT to better capture the acute changes. A single study by Coffey et al. Followed up the patients for a duration of 6 months and repeated neuroimaging again at 6 months in order to capture any long-term changes following ECT.[10]The most important conclusion which emerged from this early series of studies was that there was no evidence of cortical atrophy, change in ventricle size, or increase in white matter hyperintensities.[4] The next major conclusion was that there appeared to be an increase in the T1 and T2 relaxation time immediately following ECT, which returned to normal within 24 h.

This supported the theory that immediately following ECT, there appears to be a temporary breakdown of the blood–brain barrier, leading to water influx into the brain tissue.[11] The last significant observation by Coffey et al. In 1991 was that there was no significant temporal changes in the total volumes of the frontal lobes, temporal lobes, or amygdala–hippocampal complex.[10] This was, however, something which would later be refuted by high-resolution MRI studies. Nonetheless, one inescapable conclusion of these early studies was that there was no evidence of any gross structural brain changes following administration of ECT. Much later in 2007, Szabo et al. Used diffusion-weighted MRI to image patients in the immediate post ECT period and failed to observe any obvious brain tissue changes following ECT.[17]The next major breakthrough came in 2010 when Nordanskog et al.

Demonstrated that there was a significant increase in the volume of the hippocampus bilaterally following a course of ECT in a cohort of patients with depressive illness.[18] This contradicted the earlier observations by Coffey et al. That there was no volume increase in any part of the brain following ECT.[10] This was quite an exciting finding and was followed by several similar studies. However, the perspective of these studies was quite different from the early studies. In contrast to the early studies looking for the evidence of ECT-related brain damage, the newer studies were focused more on elucidating the mechanism of action of ECT. Further on in 2014, Nordanskog et al.

In a follow-up study showed that though there was a significant increase in the volume of the hippocampus 1 week after a course of ECT, the hippocampal volume returned to the baseline after 6 months.[19] Two other studies in 2013 showed that in addition to the hippocampus, the amygdala also showed significant volume increase following ECT.[20],[21] A series of structural neuroimaging studies after that have expanded on these findings and as of now, gray matter volume increase following ECT has been demonstrated in the hippocampus, amygdala, anterior temporal pole, subgenual cortex,[21] right caudate nucleus, and the whole of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) consisting of the hippocampus, amygdala, insula, and the posterosuperior temporal cortex,[24] para hippocampi, right subgenual anterior cingulate gyrus, and right anterior cingulate gyrus,[25] left cerebellar area VIIa crus I,[29] putamen, caudate nucleus, and nucleus acumbens [31] and clusters of increased cortical thickness involving the temporal pole, middle and superior temporal cortex, insula, and inferior temporal cortex.[27] However, the most consistently reported and replicated finding has been the bilateral increase in the volume of the hippocampus and amygdala. In light of these findings, it has been tentatively suggested that ECT acts by inducing neuronal regeneration in the hippocampus – amygdala complex.[42],[43] However, there are certain inconsistencies to this hypothesis. Till date, only one study – Nordanskog et al., 2014 – has followed study patients for a long term – 6 months in their case. And significantly, the authors found out that after increasing immediately following ECT, the hippocampal volume returns back to baseline by 6 months.[19] This, however, was not associated with the relapse of depressive symptoms. Another area of significant confusion has been the correlation of hippocampal volume increase with improvement of depressive symptoms.

Though almost all studies demonstrate a significant increase in hippocampal volume following ECT, a majority of studies failed to demonstrate a correlation between symptom improvement and hippocampal volume increase.[19],[20],[22],[24],[28] However, a significant minority of volumetric studies have demonstrated correlation between increase in hippocampal and/or amygdala volume and improvement of symptoms.[21],[25],[30]Another set of studies have used diffusion tensor imaging, functional MRI (fMRI), anatomical connectome, and structural network analysis to study the effect of ECT on the brain. The first of these studies by Abbott et al. In 2014 demonstrated that on fMRI, the connectivity between right and left hippocampus was significantly reduced in patients with severe depression. It was also shown that the connectivity was normalized following ECT, and symptom improvement was correlated with an increase in connectivity.[22] In a first of its kind DTI study, Lyden et al. In 2014 demonstrated that fractional anisotropy which is a measure of white matter tract or fiber density is increased post ECT in patients with severe depression in the anterior cingulum, forceps minor, and the dorsal aspect of the left superior longitudinal fasciculus.

The authors suggested that ECT acts to normalize major depressive disorder-related abnormalities in the structural connectivity of the dorsal fronto-limbic pathways.[23] Another DTI study in 2015 constructed large-scale anatomical networks of the human brain – connectomes, based on white matter fiber tractography. The authors found significant reorganization in the anatomical connections involving the limbic structure, temporal lobe, and frontal lobe. It was also found that connection changes between amygdala and para hippocampus correlated with reduction in depressive symptoms.[26] In 2016, Wolf et al. Used a source-based morphometry approach to study the structural networks in patients with depression and schizophrenia and the effect of ECT on the same. It was found that the medial prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate cortex (ACC/MPFC) network, MTL network, bilateral thalamus, and left cerebellar regions/precuneus exhibited significant difference between healthy controls and the patient population.

It was also demonstrated that administration of ECT leads to significant increase in the network strength of the ACC/MPFC network and the MTL network though the increase in network strength and symptom amelioration were not correlated.[32]Building on these studies, a recently published meta-analysis has attempted a quantitative synthesis of brain volume changes – focusing on hippocampal volume increase following ECT in patients with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. The authors initially selected 32 original articles from which six articles met the criteria for quantitative synthesis. The results showed significant increase in the volume of the right and left hippocampus following ECT. For the rest of the brain regions, the heterogeneity in protocols and imaging techniques did not permit a quantitative analysis, and the authors have resorted to a narrative review similar to the present one with similar conclusions.[44] Focusing exclusively on hippocampal volume change in ECT, Oltedal et al. In 2018 conducted a mega-analysis of 281 patients with major depressive disorder treated with ECT enrolled at ten different global sites of the Global ECT-MRI Research Collaboration.[45] Similar to previous studies, there was a significant increase in hippocampal volume bilaterally with a dose–response relationship with the number of ECTs administered.

Furthermore, bilateral (B/L) ECT was associated with an equal increase in volume in both right and left hippocampus, whereas right unilateral ECT was associated with greater volume increase in the right hippocampus. Finally, contrary to expectation, clinical improvement was found to be negatively correlated with hippocampal volume.Thus, a review of the current evidence amply demonstrates that from looking for ECT-related brain damage – and finding none, we have now moved ahead to looking for a mechanistic understanding of the effect of ECT. In this regard, it has been found that ECT does induce structural changes in the brain – a fact which has been seized upon by some to claim that ECT causes brain damage.[46] Such statements should, however, be weighed against the definition of damage as understood by the scientific medical community and patient population. Neuroanatomical changes associated with effective ECT can be better described as ECT-induced brain neuroplasticity or ECT-induced brain neuromodulation rather than ECT-induced brain damage. Metabolic Neuroimaging Studies.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) uses a phase-encoding procedure to map the spatial distribution of magnetic resonance (MR) signals of different molecules. The crucial difference, however, is that while MRI maps the MR signals of water molecules, MRSI maps the MR signals generated by different metabolites – such as N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and choline-containing compounds. However, the concentration of these metabolites is at least 10,000 times lower than water molecules and hence the signal strength generated would also be correspondingly lower. However, MRSI offers us the unique advantage of studying in vivo the change in the concentration of brain metabolites, which has been of great significance in fields such as psychiatry, neurology, and basic neuroscience research.[47]MRSI studies on ECT in patients with depression have focused largely on four metabolites in the human brain – NAA, choline-containing compounds (Cho) which include majorly cell membrane compounds such as glycerophosphocholine, phosphocholine and a miniscule contribution from acetylcholine, creatinine (Cr) and glutamine and glutamate together (Glx). NAA is located exclusively in the neurons, and is suggested to be a marker of neuronal viability and functionality.[48] Choline-containing compounds (Cho) mainly include the membrane compounds, and an increase in Cho would be suggestive of increased membrane turnover.

Cr serves as a marker of cellular energy metabolism, and its levels are usually expected to remain stable. The regions which have been most widely studied in MRSI studies include the bilateral hippocampus and amygdala, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and ACC.Till date, five MRSI studies have measured NAA concentration in the hippocampus before and after ECT. Of these, three studies showed that there is no significant change in the NAA concentration in the hippocampus following ECT.[33],[38],[49] On the other hand, two recent studies have demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in NAA concentration in the hippocampus following ECT.[39],[40] The implications of these results are of significant interest to us in answering our titular question. A normal level of NAA following ECT could signify that there is no significant neuronal death or damage following ECT, while a reduction would signal the opposite. However, a direct comparison between these studies is complicated chiefly due to the different ECT protocols, which has been used in these studies.

It must, however, be acknowledged that the three older studies used 1.5 T MRI, whereas the two newer studies used a higher 3 T MRI which offers betters signal-to-noise ratio and hence lesser risk of errors in the measurement of metabolite concentrations. The authors of a study by Njau et al.[39] argue that a change in NAA levels might reflect reversible changes in neural metabolism rather than a permanent change in the number or density of neurons and also that reduced NAA might point to a change in the ratio of mature to immature neurons, which, in fact, might reflect enhanced adult neurogenesis. Thus, the authors warn that to conclude whether a reduction in NAA concentration is beneficial or harmful would take a simultaneous measurement of cognitive functioning, which was lacking in their study. In 2017, Cano et al. Also demonstrated a significant reduction in NAA/Cr ratio in the hippocampus post ECT.

More significantly, the authors also showed a significant increase in Glx levels in the hippocampus following ECT, which was also associated with an increase in hippocampal volume.[40] To explain these three findings, the authors proposed that ECT produces a neuroinflammatory response in the hippocampus – likely mediated by Glx, which has been known to cause inflammation at higher concentrations, thereby accounting for the increase in hippocampal volume with a reduction in NAA concentration. The cause for the volume increase remains unclear – with the authors speculating that it might be due to neuronal swelling or due to angiogenesis. However, the same study and multiple other past studies [21],[25],[30] have demonstrated that hippocampal volume increase was correlated with clinical improvement following ECT. Thus, we are led to the hypothesis that the same mechanism which drives clinical improvement with ECT is also responsible for the cognitive impairment following ECT. Whether this is a purely neuroinflammatory response or a neuroplastic response or a neuroinflammatory response leading to some form of neuroplasticity is a critical question, which remains to be answered.[40]Studies which have analyzed NAA concentration change in other brain areas have also produced conflicting results.

The ACC is another area which has been studied in some detail utilizing the MRSI technique. In 2003, Pfleiderer et al. Demonstrated that there was no significant change in the NAA and Cho levels in the ACC following ECT. This would seem to suggest that there was no neurogenesis or membrane turnover in the ACC post ECT.[36] However, this finding was contested by Merkl et al. In 2011, who demonstrated that NAA levels were significantly reduced in the left ACC in patients with depression and that these levels were significantly elevated following ECT.[37] This again is contested by Njau et al.

Who showed that NAA levels are significantly reduced following ECT in the left dorsal ACC.[39] A direct comparison of these three studies is complicated by the different ECT and imaging parameters used and hence, no firm conclusion can be made on this point at this stage. In addition to this, one study had demonstrated increased NAA levels in the amygdala following administration of ECT,[34] with a trend level increase in Cho levels, which again is suggestive of neurogenesis and/or neuroplasticity. A review of studies on the DLPFC reveals a similarly confusing picture with one study, each showing no change, reduction, and elevation of concentration of NAA following ECT.[35],[37],[39] Here, again, a direct comparison of the three studies is made difficult by the heterogeneous imaging and ECT protocols followed by them.A total of five studies have analyzed the concentration of choline-containing compounds (Cho) in patients undergoing ECT. Conceptually, an increase in Cho signals is indicative of increased membrane turnover, which is postulated to be associated with synaptogenesis, neurogenesis, and maturation of neurons.[31] Of these, two studies measured Cho concentration in the B/L hippocampus, with contrasting results. Ende et al.

In 2000 demonstrated a significant elevation in Cho levels in B/L hippocampus after ECT, while Jorgensen et al. In 2015 failed to replicate the same finding.[33],[38] Cho levels have also been studied in the amygdala, ACC, and the DLPFC. However, none of these studies showed a significant increase or decrease in Cho levels before and after ECT in the respective brain regions studied. In addition, no significant difference was seen in the pre-ECT Cho levels of patients compared to healthy controls.[34],[36],[37]In review, we must admit that MRSI studies are still at a preliminary stage with significant heterogeneity in ECT protocols, patient population, and regions of the brain studied. At this stage, it is difficult to draw any firm conclusions except to acknowledge the fact that the more recent studies – Njau et al., 2017, Cano, 2017, and Jorgensen et al., 2015 – have shown decrease in NAA concentration and no increase in Cho levels [38],[39],[40] – as opposed to the earlier studies by Ende et al.[33] The view offered by the more recent studies is one of a neuroinflammatory models of action of ECT, probably driving neuroplasticity in the hippocampus.

This would offer a mechanistic understanding of both clinical response and the phenomenon of cognitive impairment associated with ECT. However, this conclusion is based on conjecture, and more work needs to be done in this area. Body Fluid Biochemical Marker Studies Another line of evidence for analyzing the effect of ECT on the human brain is the study of concentration of neurotrophins in the plasma or serum. Neurotrophins are small protein molecules which mediate neuronal survival and development. The most prominent among these is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which plays an important role in neuronal survival, plasticity, and migration.[50] A neurotrophic theory of mood disorders was suggested which hypothesized that depressive disorders are associated with a decreased expression of BDNF in the limbic structures, resulting in the atrophy of these structures.[51] It was also postulated that antidepressant treatment has a neurotrophic effect which reverses the neuronal cell loss, thereby producing a therapeutic effect.

It has been well established that BDNF is decreased in mood disorders.[52] It has also been shown that clinical improvement of depression is associated with increase in BDNF levels.[53] Thus, serum BDNF levels have been tentatively proposed as a biomarker for treatment response in depression. Recent meta-analytic evidence has shown that ECT is associated with significant increase in serum BDNF levels in patients with major depressive disorder.[54] Considering that BDNF is a potent stimulator of neurogenesis, the elevation of serum BDNF levels following ECT lends further credence to the theory that ECT leads to neurogenesis in the hippocampus and other limbic structures, which, in turn, mediates the therapeutic action of ECT. Cognitive Impairment Studies Cognitive impairment has always been the single-most important side effect associated with ECT.[55] Concerns regarding long-term cognitive impairment surfaced soon after the introduction of ECT and since then has grown to become one of the most controversial aspects of ECT.[56] Anti-ECT groups have frequently pointed out to cognitive impairment following ECT as evidence of ECT causing brain damage.[56] A meta-analysis by Semkovska and McLoughlin in 2010 is one of the most detailed studies which had attempted to settle this long-standing debate.[57] The authors reviewed 84 studies (2981 participants), which had used a combined total of 22 standardized neuropsychological tests assessing various cognitive functions before and after ECT in patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder. The different cognitive domains reviewed included processing speed, attention/working memory, verbal episodic memory, visual episodic memory, spatial problem-solving, executive functioning, and intellectual ability. The authors concluded that administration of ECT for depression is associated with significant cognitive impairment in the first few days after ECT administration.

However, it was also seen that impairment in cognitive functioning resolved within a span of 2 weeks and thereafter, a majority of cognitive domains even showed mild improvement compared to the baseline performance. It was also demonstrated that not a single cognitive domain showed persistence of impairment beyond 15 days after ECT.Memory impairment following ECT can be analyzed broadly under two conceptual schemes – one that classifies memory impairment as objective memory impairment and subjective memory impairment and the other that classifies it as impairment in anterograde memory versus impairment in retrograde memory. Objective memory can be roughly defined as the ability to retrieve stored information and can be measured by various standardized neuropsychological tests. Subjective memory or meta-memory, on the other hand, refers to the ability to make judgments about one's ability to retrieve stored information.[58] As described previously, it has been conclusively demonstrated that anterograde memory impairment does not persist beyond 2 weeks after ECT.[57] However, one of the major limitations of this meta-analysis was the lack of evidence on retrograde amnesia following ECT. This is particularly unfortunate considering that it is memory impairment – particularly retrograde amnesia which has received the most attention.[59] In addition, reports of catastrophic retrograde amnesia have been repeatedly held up as sensational evidence of the lasting brain damage produced by ECT.[59] Admittedly, studies on retrograde amnesia are fewer and less conclusive than on anterograde amnesia.[60],[61] At present, the results are conflicting, with some studies finding some impairment in retrograde memory – particularly autobiographical retrograde memory up to 6 months after ECT.[62],[63],[64],[65] However, more recent studies have failed to support this finding.[66],[67] While they do demonstrate an impairment in retrograde memory immediately after ECT, it was seen that this deficit returned to pre-ECT levels within a span of 1–2 months and improved beyond baseline performance at 6 months post ECT.[66] Adding to the confusion are numerous factors which confound the assessment of retrograde amnesia.

It has been shown that depressive symptoms can produce significant impairment of retrograde memory.[68],[69] It has also been demonstrated that sine-wave ECT produces significantly more impairment of retrograde memory as compared to brief-pulse ECT.[70] However, from the 1990s onward, sine-wave ECT has been completely replaced by brief-pulse ECT, and it is unclear as to the implications of cognitive impairment from the sine-wave era in contemporary ECT practice.Another area of concern are reports of subjective memory impairment following ECT. One of the pioneers of research into subjective memory impairment were Squire and Chace who published a series of studies in the 1970s demonstrating the adverse effect of bilateral ECT on subjective assessment of memory.[62],[63],[64],[65] However, most of the studies conducted post 1980 – from when sine-wave ECT was replaced by brief-pulse ECT report a general improvement in subjective memory assessments following ECT.[71] In addition, most of the recent studies have failed to find a significant association between measures of subjective and objective memory.[63],[66],[70],[72],[73],[74] It has also been shown that subjective memory impairment is strongly associated with the severity of depressive symptoms.[75] In light of these facts, the validity and value of measures of subjective memory impairment as a marker of cognitive impairment and brain damage following ECT have been questioned. However, concerns regarding subjective memory impairment and catastrophic retrograde amnesia continue to persist, with significant dissonance between the findings of different research groups and patient self-reports in various media.[57]Some studies reported the possibility of ECT being associated with the development of subsequent dementia.[76],[77] However, a recent large, well-controlled prospective Danish study found that the use of ECT was not associated with elevated incidence of dementia.[78] Conclusion Our titular question is whether ECT leads to brain damage, where damage indicates destruction or degeneration of nerves or nerve tracts in the brain, which leads to loss of function. This issue was last addressed by Devanand et al. In 1994 since which time our understanding of ECT has grown substantially, helped particularly by the advent of modern-day neuroimaging techniques which we have reviewed in detail.

And, what these studies reveal is rather than damaging the brain, ECT has a neuromodulatory effect on the brain. The various lines of evidence – structural neuroimaging studies, functional neuroimaging studies, neurochemical and metabolic studies, and serum BDNF studies all point toward this. These neuromodulatory changes have been localized to the hippocampus, amygdala, and certain other parts of the limbic system. How exactly these changes mediate the improvement of depressive symptoms is a question that remains unanswered. However, there is little by way of evidence from neuroimaging studies which indicates that ECT causes destruction or degeneration of neurons.

Though cognitive impairment studies do show that there is objective impairment of certain functions – particularly memory immediately after ECT, these impairments are transient with full recovery within a span of 2 weeks. Perhaps, the single-most important unaddressed concern is retrograde amnesia, which has been shown to persist for up to 2 months post ECT. In this regard, the recent neurometabolic studies have offered a tentative mechanism of action of ECT, producing a transient inflammation in the limbic cortex, which, in turn, drives neurogenesis, thereby exerting a neuromodulatory effect. This hypothesis would explain both the cognitive adverse effects of ECT – due to the transient inflammation – and the long-term improvement in mood – neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Although unproven at present, such a hypothesis would imply that cognitive impairment is tied in with the mechanism of action of ECT and not an indicator of damage to the brain produced by ECT.The review of literature suggests that ECT does cause at least structural and functional changes in the brain, and these are in all probability related to the effects of the ECT.

However, these cannot be construed as brain damage as is usually understood. Due to the relative scarcity of data that directly examines the question of whether ECT causes brain damage, it is not possible to conclusively answer this question. However, in light of enduring ECT survivor accounts, there is a need to design studies that specifically answer this question.Financial support and sponsorshipNil.Conflicts of interestThere are no conflicts of interest. References 1.Payne NA, Prudic J. Electroconvulsive therapy.

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A cohort study. Lancet Psychiatry 2018;5:348-56. Correspondence Address:Dr. Shubh Mohan SinghDepartment of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh IndiaSource of Support. None, Conflict of Interest.

NoneDOI. 10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_239_19 Tables [Table 1], [Table 2].

How to http://www.teawamaori.com/renova-cream-price/ cite this article:Singh O P best price generic propecia. Aftermath of celebrity suicide – Media coverage and role of psychiatrists. Indian J Psychiatry 2020;62:337-8Celebrity suicide is one of best price generic propecia the highly publicized events in our country. Indians got a glimpse of this following an unfortunate incident where a popular Hindi film actor died of suicide. As expected, the media went into a best price generic propecia frenzy as newspapers, news channels, and social media were full of stories providing minute details of the suicidal act.

Some even going as far as highlighting the color of the cloth used in the suicide as well as showing the lifeless body of the actor. All kinds of personal details were dug up, and speculations and hypotheses became the order of the day in the next few days that followed. In the process, reputations of many people associated with the actor were besmirched and their private and personal details were freely and blatantly broadcast best price generic propecia and discussed on electronic, print, and social media. We understand that media houses have their own need and duty to report and sensationalize news for increasing their visibility (aka TRP), but such reporting has huge impacts on the mental health of the vulnerable population.The impact of this was soon realized when many incidents of copycat suicide were reported from all over the country within a few days of the incident. Psychiatrists suddenly started getting distress calls from their patients in despair best price generic propecia with increased suicidal ideation.

This has become a major area of concern for the psychiatry community.The Indian Psychiatric Society has been consistently trying to engage with media to promote ethical reporting of suicide. Section 24 (1) of Mental Health Care Act, 2017, forbids publication of photograph of mentally ill person without his consent.[1] The Press Council best price generic propecia of India has adopted the guidelines of World Health Organization report on Preventing Suicide. A resource for media professionals, which came out with an advisory to be followed by media in reporting cases of suicide. It includes points forbidding them from putting stories in prominent positions and unduly repeating them, explicitly describing the method used, providing details about the site/location, using sensational headlines, or using photographs and video footage of the incident.[2] Unfortunately, the advisory seems to have little effect in the aftermath of celebrity suicides. Channels were best price generic propecia full of speculations about the person's mental condition and illness and also his relationships and finances.

Many fictional accounts of his symptoms and illness were touted, which is not only against the ethics but is also contrary to MHCA, 2017.[1]It went to the extent that the name of his psychiatrist was mentioned and quotes were attributed to him without taking any account from him. The Indian Psychiatric Society has written to the Press Council of India underlining this concern and asking for measures to ensure ethics in reporting suicide.While there is a need for engagement with media to make best price generic propecia them aware of the grave impact of negative suicide reporting on the lives of many vulnerable persons, there is even a more urgent need for training of psychiatrists regarding the proper way of interaction with media. This has been amply brought out in the aftermath of this incident. Many psychiatrists and mental health professionals were called by media houses to comment best price generic propecia on the episode. Many psychiatrists were quoted, or “misquoted,” or “quoted out of context,” commenting on the life of a person whom they had never examined and had no “professional authority” to do so.

There were even stories with byline of a psychiatrist where the content provided was not only unscientific but also way beyond the expertise of a psychiatrist. These types of viewpoints perpetuate stigma, myths, and “misleading concepts” about psychiatry and best price generic propecia are detrimental to the image of psychiatry in addition to doing harm and injustice to our patients. Hence, the need to formulate a guideline for interaction of psychiatrists with the media is imperative.In the infamous Goldwater episode, 12,356 psychiatrists were asked to cast opinion about the fitness of Barry Goldwater for presidential candidature. Out of 2417 respondents, 1189 psychiatrists reported him to be mentally unfit while none had actually examined him.[3] This led to the formulation of “The Goldwater Rule” by the American Psychiatric Association in 1973,[4] but we have witnessed the same phenomenon at the time of presidential candidature of Donald Trump.Psychiatrists should be encouraged to interact with media to provide scientific information about mental illnesses and reduction of stigma, but “statements to the media” best price generic propecia can be a double-edged sword, and we should know about the rules of engagements and boundaries of interactions. Methods and principles of interaction with media should form a part of our training curriculum.

Many professional societies have guidelines and resource best price generic propecia books for interacting with media, and psychiatrists should familiarize themselves with these documents. The Press Council guideline is likely to prompt reporters to seek psychiatrists for their expert opinion. It is useful for them to have a template ready with suicide rates, emphasizing multicausality of suicide, role of mental disorders, as well as help available.[5]It is about time that the Indian Psychiatric Society formulated its own guidelines laying down the broad principles and boundaries governing the interaction of Indian psychiatrists with the media. Till then, it is desirable to be guided by the following broad principles:It should be assumed that no statement goes “off the record” as the media person is most likely recording the interview, and we should also record any such conversation from our endIt should be clarified in which capacity comments are being made – professional, personal, or as a representative of an organizationOne should not comment on any person whom he has not examinedPsychiatrists should take any such opportunity to educate the public about mental health issuesThe comments should be justified and limited by the boundaries of scientific knowledge available at the moment best price generic propecia. References Correspondence Address:Dr.

O P SinghAA 304, Ashabari best price generic propecia Apartments, O/31, Baishnabghata, Patuli Township, Kolkata - 700 094, West Bengal IndiaSource of Support. None, Conflict of Interest. NoneDOI. 10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_816_20Abstract Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective modality of treatment for a variety of psychiatric disorders. However, it has always been accused of being a coercive, unethical, and dangerous modality of treatment.

The dangerousness of ECT has been mainly attributed to its claimed ability to cause brain damage. This narrative review aims to provide an update of the evidence with regard to whether the practice of ECT is associated with damage to the brain. An accepted definition of brain damage remains elusive. There are also ethical and technical problems in designing studies that look at this question specifically. Thus, even though there are newer technological tools and innovations, any review attempting to answer this question would have to take recourse to indirect methods.

These include structural, functional, and metabolic neuroimaging. Body fluid biochemical marker studies. And follow-up studies of cognitive impairment and incidence of dementia in people who have received ECT among others. The review of literature and present evidence suggests that ECT has a demonstrable impact on the structure and function of the brain. However, there is a lack of evidence at present to suggest that ECT causes brain damage.Keywords.

Adverse effect, brain damage, electroconvulsive therapyHow to cite this article:Jolly AJ, Singh SM. Does electroconvulsive therapy cause brain damage. An update. Indian J Psychiatry 2020;62:339-53 Introduction Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as a modality of treatment for psychiatric disorders has existed at least since 1938.[1] ECT is an effective modality of treatment for various psychiatric disorders. However, from the very beginning, the practice of ECT has also faced resistance from various groups who claim that it is coercive and harmful.[2] While the ethical aspects of the practice of ECT have been dealt with elsewhere, the question of harmfulness or brain damage consequent upon the passage of electric current needs to be examined afresh in light of technological advances and new knowledge.[3]The question whether ECT causes brain damage was reviewed in a holistic fashion by Devanand et al.

In the mid-1990s.[4],[5] The authors had attempted to answer this question by reviewing the effect of ECT on the brain in various areas – cognitive side effects, structural neuroimaging studies, neuropathologic studies of patients who had received ECT, autopsy studies of epileptic patients, and finally animal ECS studies. The authors had concluded that ECT does not produce brain damage.This narrative review aims to update the evidence with regard to whether ECT causes brain damage by reviewing relevant literature from 1994 to the present time. Framing the Question The Oxford Dictionary defines damage as physical harm that impairs the value, usefulness, or normal function of something.[6] Among medical dictionaries, the Peter Collins Dictionary defines damage as harm done to things (noun) or to harm something (verb).[7] Brain damage is defined by the British Medical Association Medical Dictionary as degeneration or death of nerve cells and tracts within the brain that may be localized to a particular area of the brain or diffuse.[8] Going by such a definition, brain damage in the context of ECT should refer to death or degeneration of brain tissue, which results in the impairment of functioning of the brain. The importance of precisely defining brain damage shall become evident subsequently in this review.There are now many more tools available to investigate the structure and function of brain in health and illness. However, there are obvious ethical issues in designing human studies that are designed to answer this specific question.

Therefore, one must necessarily take recourse to indirect evidences available through studies that have been designed to answer other research questions. These studies have employed the following methods:Structural neuroimaging studiesFunctional neuroimaging studiesMetabolic neuroimaging studiesBody fluid biochemical marker studiesCognitive impairment studies.While the early studies tended to focus more on establishing the safety of ECT and finding out whether ECT causes gross microscopic brain damage, the later studies especially since the advent of advanced neuroimaging techniques have been focusing more on a mechanistic understanding of ECT. Hence, the primary objective of the later neuroimaging studies has been to look for structural and functional brain changes which might explain how ECT acts rather than evidence of gross structural damage per se. However, put together, all these studies would enable us to answer our titular question to some satisfaction. [Table 1] and [Table 2] provide an overview of the evidence base in this area.

Structural and Functional Neuroimaging Studies Devanand et al. Reviewed 16 structural neuroimaging studies on the effect of ECT on the brain.[4] Of these, two were pneumoencephalography studies, nine were computed tomography (CT) scan studies, and five were magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies. However, most of these studies were retrospective in design, with neuroimaging being done in patients who had received ECT in the past. In the absence of baseline neuroimaging, it would be very difficult to attribute any structural brain changes to ECT. In addition, pneumoencephalography, CT scan, and even early 0.3 T MRI provided images with much lower spatial resolution than what is available today.

The authors concluded that there was no evidence to show that ECT caused any structural damage to the brain.[4] Since then, at least twenty more MRI-based structural neuroimaging studies have studied the effect of ECT on the brain. The earliest MRI studies in the early 1990s focused on detecting structural damage following ECT. All of these studies were prospective in design, with the first MRI scan done at baseline and a second MRI scan performed post ECT.[9],[11],[12],[13],[41] While most of the studies imaged the patient once around 24 h after receiving ECT, some studies performed multiple post ECT neuroimaging in the first 24 h after ECT to better capture the acute changes. A single study by Coffey et al. Followed up the patients for a duration of 6 months and repeated neuroimaging again at 6 months in order to capture any long-term changes following ECT.[10]The most important conclusion which emerged from this early series of studies was that there was no evidence of cortical atrophy, change in ventricle size, or increase in white matter hyperintensities.[4] The next major conclusion was that there appeared to be an increase in the T1 and T2 relaxation time immediately following ECT, which returned to normal within 24 h.

This supported the theory that immediately following ECT, there appears to be a temporary breakdown of the blood–brain barrier, leading to water influx into the brain tissue.[11] The last significant observation by Coffey et al. In 1991 was that there was no significant temporal changes in the total volumes of the frontal lobes, temporal lobes, or amygdala–hippocampal complex.[10] This was, however, something which would later be refuted by high-resolution MRI studies. Nonetheless, one inescapable conclusion of these early studies was that there was no evidence of any gross structural brain changes following administration of ECT. Much later in 2007, Szabo et al. Used diffusion-weighted MRI to image patients in the immediate post ECT period and failed to observe any obvious brain tissue changes following ECT.[17]The next major breakthrough came in 2010 when Nordanskog et al.

Demonstrated that there was a significant increase in the volume of the hippocampus bilaterally following a course of ECT in a cohort of patients with depressive illness.[18] This contradicted the earlier observations by Coffey et al. That there was no volume increase in any part of the brain following ECT.[10] This was quite an exciting finding and was followed by several similar studies. However, the perspective of these studies was quite different from the early studies. In contrast to the early studies looking for the evidence of ECT-related brain damage, the newer studies were focused more on elucidating the mechanism of action of ECT. Further on in 2014, Nordanskog et al.

In a follow-up study showed that though there was a significant increase in the volume of the hippocampus 1 week after a course of ECT, the hippocampal volume returned to the baseline after 6 months.[19] Two other studies in 2013 showed that in addition to the hippocampus, the amygdala also showed significant volume increase following ECT.[20],[21] A series of structural neuroimaging studies after that have expanded on these findings and as of now, gray matter volume increase following ECT has been demonstrated in the hippocampus, amygdala, anterior temporal pole, subgenual cortex,[21] right caudate nucleus, and the whole of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) consisting of the hippocampus, amygdala, insula, and the posterosuperior temporal cortex,[24] para hippocampi, right subgenual anterior cingulate gyrus, and right anterior cingulate gyrus,[25] left cerebellar area VIIa crus I,[29] putamen, caudate nucleus, and nucleus acumbens [31] and clusters of increased cortical thickness involving the temporal pole, middle and superior temporal cortex, insula, and inferior temporal cortex.[27] However, the most consistently reported and replicated finding has been the bilateral increase in the volume of the hippocampus and amygdala. In light of these findings, it has been tentatively suggested that ECT acts by inducing neuronal regeneration in the hippocampus – amygdala complex.[42],[43] However, there are certain inconsistencies to this hypothesis. Till date, only one study – Nordanskog et al., 2014 – has followed study patients for a long term – 6 months in their case. And significantly, the authors found out that after increasing immediately following ECT, the hippocampal volume returns back to baseline by 6 months.[19] This, however, was not associated with the relapse of depressive symptoms. Another area of significant confusion has been the correlation of hippocampal volume increase with improvement of depressive symptoms.

Though almost all studies demonstrate a significant increase in hippocampal volume following ECT, a majority of studies failed to demonstrate a correlation between symptom improvement and hippocampal volume increase.[19],[20],[22],[24],[28] However, a significant minority of volumetric studies have demonstrated correlation between increase in hippocampal and/or amygdala volume and improvement of symptoms.[21],[25],[30]Another set of studies have used diffusion tensor imaging, functional MRI (fMRI), anatomical connectome, and structural network analysis to study the effect of ECT on the brain. The first of these studies by Abbott et al. In 2014 demonstrated that on fMRI, the connectivity between right and left hippocampus was significantly reduced in patients with severe depression. It was also shown that the connectivity was normalized following ECT, and symptom improvement was correlated with an increase in connectivity.[22] In a first of its kind DTI study, Lyden et al. In 2014 demonstrated that fractional anisotropy which is a measure of white matter tract or fiber density is increased post ECT in patients with severe depression in the anterior cingulum, forceps minor, and the dorsal aspect of the left superior longitudinal fasciculus.

The authors suggested that ECT acts to normalize major depressive disorder-related abnormalities in the structural connectivity of the dorsal fronto-limbic pathways.[23] Another DTI study in 2015 constructed large-scale anatomical networks of the human brain – connectomes, based on white matter fiber tractography. The authors found significant reorganization in the anatomical connections involving the limbic structure, temporal lobe, and frontal lobe. It was also found that connection changes between amygdala and para hippocampus correlated with reduction in depressive symptoms.[26] In 2016, Wolf et al. Used a source-based morphometry approach to study the structural networks in patients with depression and schizophrenia and the effect of ECT on the same. It was found that the medial prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate cortex (ACC/MPFC) network, MTL network, bilateral thalamus, and left cerebellar regions/precuneus exhibited significant difference between healthy controls and the patient population.

It was also demonstrated that administration of ECT leads to significant increase in the network strength of the ACC/MPFC network and the MTL network though the increase in network strength and symptom amelioration were not correlated.[32]Building on these studies, a recently published meta-analysis has attempted a quantitative synthesis of brain volume changes – focusing on hippocampal volume increase following ECT in patients with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. The authors initially selected 32 original articles from which six articles met the criteria for quantitative synthesis. The results showed significant increase in the volume of the right and left hippocampus following ECT. For the rest of the brain regions, the heterogeneity in protocols and imaging techniques did not permit a quantitative analysis, and the authors have resorted to a narrative review similar to the present one with similar conclusions.[44] Focusing exclusively on hippocampal volume change in ECT, Oltedal et al. In 2018 conducted a mega-analysis of 281 patients with major depressive disorder treated with ECT enrolled at ten different global sites of the Global ECT-MRI Research Collaboration.[45] Similar to previous studies, there was a significant increase in hippocampal volume bilaterally with a dose–response relationship with the number of ECTs administered.

Furthermore, bilateral (B/L) ECT was associated with an equal increase in volume in both right and left hippocampus, whereas right unilateral ECT was associated with greater volume increase in the right hippocampus. Finally, contrary to expectation, clinical improvement was found to be negatively correlated with hippocampal volume.Thus, a review of the current evidence amply demonstrates that from looking for ECT-related brain damage – and finding none, we have now moved ahead to looking for a mechanistic understanding of the effect of ECT. In this regard, it has been found that ECT does induce structural changes in the brain – a fact which has been seized upon by some to claim that ECT causes brain damage.[46] Such statements should, however, be weighed against the definition of damage as understood by the scientific medical community and patient population. Neuroanatomical changes associated with effective ECT can be better described as ECT-induced brain neuroplasticity or ECT-induced brain neuromodulation rather than ECT-induced brain damage. Metabolic Neuroimaging Studies.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) uses a phase-encoding procedure to map the spatial distribution of magnetic resonance (MR) signals of different molecules. The crucial difference, however, is that while MRI maps the MR signals of water molecules, MRSI maps the MR signals generated by different metabolites – such as N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and choline-containing compounds. However, the concentration of these metabolites is at least 10,000 times lower than water molecules and hence the signal strength generated would also be correspondingly lower. However, MRSI offers us the unique advantage of studying in vivo the change in the concentration of brain metabolites, which has been of great significance in fields such as psychiatry, neurology, and basic neuroscience research.[47]MRSI studies on ECT in patients with depression have focused largely on four metabolites in the human brain – NAA, choline-containing compounds (Cho) which include majorly cell membrane compounds such as glycerophosphocholine, phosphocholine and a miniscule contribution from acetylcholine, creatinine (Cr) and glutamine and glutamate together (Glx). NAA is located exclusively in the neurons, and is suggested to be a marker of neuronal viability and functionality.[48] Choline-containing compounds (Cho) mainly include the membrane compounds, and an increase in Cho would be suggestive of increased membrane turnover.

Cr serves as a marker of cellular energy metabolism, and its levels are usually expected to remain stable. The regions which have been most widely studied in MRSI studies include the bilateral hippocampus and amygdala, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and ACC.Till date, five MRSI studies have measured NAA concentration in the hippocampus before and after ECT. Of these, three studies showed that there is no significant change in the NAA concentration in the hippocampus following ECT.[33],[38],[49] On the other hand, two recent studies have demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in NAA concentration in the hippocampus following ECT.[39],[40] The implications of these results are of significant interest to us in answering our titular question. A normal level of NAA following ECT could signify that there is no significant neuronal death or damage following ECT, while a reduction would signal the opposite. However, a direct comparison between these studies is complicated chiefly due to the different ECT protocols, which has been used in these studies.

It must, however, be acknowledged that the three older studies used 1.5 T MRI, whereas the two newer studies used a higher 3 T MRI which offers betters signal-to-noise ratio and hence lesser risk of errors in the measurement of metabolite concentrations. The authors of a study by Njau et al.[39] argue that a change in NAA levels might reflect reversible changes in neural metabolism rather than a permanent change in the number or density of neurons and also that reduced NAA might point to a change in the ratio of mature to immature neurons, which, in fact, might reflect enhanced adult neurogenesis. Thus, the authors warn that to conclude whether a reduction in NAA concentration is beneficial or harmful would take a simultaneous measurement of cognitive functioning, which was lacking in their study. In 2017, Cano et al. Also demonstrated a significant reduction in NAA/Cr ratio in the hippocampus post ECT.

More significantly, the authors also showed a significant increase in Glx levels in the hippocampus following ECT, which was also associated with an increase in hippocampal volume.[40] To explain these three findings, the authors proposed that ECT produces a neuroinflammatory response in the hippocampus – likely mediated by Glx, which has been known to cause inflammation at higher concentrations, thereby accounting for the increase in hippocampal volume with a reduction in NAA concentration. The cause for the volume increase remains unclear – with the authors speculating that it might be due to neuronal swelling or due to angiogenesis. However, the same study and multiple other past studies [21],[25],[30] have demonstrated that hippocampal volume increase was correlated with clinical improvement following ECT. Thus, we are led to the hypothesis that the same mechanism which drives clinical improvement with ECT is also responsible for the cognitive impairment following ECT. Whether this is a purely neuroinflammatory response or a neuroplastic response or a neuroinflammatory response leading to some form of neuroplasticity is a critical question, which remains to be answered.[40]Studies which have analyzed NAA concentration change in other brain areas have also produced conflicting results.

The ACC is another area which has been studied in some detail utilizing the MRSI technique. In 2003, Pfleiderer et al. Demonstrated that there was no significant change in the NAA and Cho levels in the ACC following ECT. This would seem to suggest that there was no neurogenesis or membrane turnover in the ACC post ECT.[36] However, this finding was contested by Merkl et al. In 2011, who demonstrated that NAA levels were significantly reduced in the left ACC in patients with depression and that these levels were significantly elevated following ECT.[37] This again is contested by Njau et al.

Who showed that NAA levels are significantly reduced following ECT in the left dorsal ACC.[39] A direct comparison of these three studies is complicated by the different ECT and imaging parameters used and hence, no firm conclusion can be made on this point at this stage. In addition to this, one study had demonstrated increased NAA levels in the amygdala following administration of ECT,[34] with a trend level increase in Cho levels, which again is suggestive of neurogenesis and/or neuroplasticity. A review of studies on the DLPFC reveals a similarly confusing picture with one study, each showing no change, reduction, and elevation of concentration of NAA following ECT.[35],[37],[39] Here, again, a direct comparison of the three studies is made difficult by the heterogeneous imaging and ECT protocols followed by them.A total of five studies have analyzed the concentration of choline-containing compounds (Cho) in patients undergoing ECT. Conceptually, an increase in Cho signals is indicative of increased membrane turnover, which is postulated to be associated with synaptogenesis, neurogenesis, and maturation of neurons.[31] Of these, two studies measured Cho concentration in the B/L hippocampus, with contrasting results. Ende et al.

In 2000 demonstrated a significant elevation in Cho levels in B/L hippocampus after ECT, while Jorgensen et al. In 2015 failed to replicate the same finding.[33],[38] Cho levels have also been studied in the amygdala, ACC, and the DLPFC. However, none of these studies showed a significant increase or decrease in Cho levels before and after ECT in the respective brain regions studied. In addition, no significant difference was seen in the pre-ECT Cho levels of patients compared to healthy controls.[34],[36],[37]In review, we must admit that MRSI studies are still at a preliminary stage with significant heterogeneity in ECT protocols, patient population, and regions of the brain studied. At this stage, it is difficult to draw any firm conclusions except to acknowledge the fact that the more recent studies – Njau et al., 2017, Cano, 2017, and Jorgensen et al., 2015 – have shown decrease in NAA concentration and no increase in Cho levels [38],[39],[40] – as opposed to the earlier studies by Ende et al.[33] The view offered by the more recent studies is one of a neuroinflammatory models of action of ECT, probably driving neuroplasticity in the hippocampus.

This would offer a mechanistic understanding of both clinical response and the phenomenon of cognitive impairment associated with ECT. However, this conclusion is based on conjecture, and more work needs to be done in this area. Body Fluid Biochemical Marker Studies Another line of evidence for analyzing the effect of ECT on the human brain is the study of concentration of neurotrophins in the plasma or serum. Neurotrophins are small protein molecules which mediate neuronal survival and development. The most prominent among these is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which plays an important role in neuronal survival, plasticity, and migration.[50] A neurotrophic theory of mood disorders was suggested which hypothesized that depressive disorders are associated with a decreased expression of BDNF in the limbic structures, resulting in the atrophy of these structures.[51] It was also postulated that antidepressant treatment has a neurotrophic effect which reverses the neuronal cell loss, thereby producing a therapeutic effect.

It has been well established that BDNF is decreased in mood disorders.[52] It has also been shown that clinical improvement of depression is associated with increase in BDNF levels.[53] Thus, serum BDNF levels have been tentatively proposed as a biomarker for treatment response in depression. Recent meta-analytic evidence has shown that ECT is associated with significant increase in serum BDNF levels in patients with major depressive disorder.[54] Considering that BDNF is a potent stimulator of neurogenesis, the elevation of serum BDNF levels following ECT lends further credence to the theory that ECT leads to neurogenesis in the hippocampus and other limbic structures, which, in turn, mediates the therapeutic action of ECT. Cognitive Impairment Studies Cognitive impairment has always been the single-most important side effect associated with ECT.[55] Concerns regarding long-term cognitive impairment surfaced soon after the introduction of ECT and since then has grown to become one of the most controversial aspects of ECT.[56] Anti-ECT groups have frequently pointed out to cognitive impairment following ECT as evidence of ECT causing brain damage.[56] A meta-analysis by Semkovska and McLoughlin in 2010 is one of the most detailed studies which had attempted to settle this long-standing debate.[57] The authors reviewed 84 studies (2981 participants), which had used a combined total of 22 standardized neuropsychological tests assessing various cognitive functions before and after ECT in patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder. The different cognitive domains reviewed included processing speed, attention/working memory, verbal episodic memory, visual episodic memory, spatial problem-solving, executive functioning, and intellectual ability. The authors concluded that administration of ECT for depression is associated with significant cognitive impairment in the first few days after ECT administration.

However, it was also seen that impairment in cognitive functioning resolved within a span of 2 weeks and thereafter, a majority of cognitive domains even showed mild improvement compared to the baseline performance. It was also demonstrated that not a single cognitive domain showed persistence of impairment beyond 15 days after ECT.Memory impairment following ECT can be analyzed broadly under two conceptual schemes – one that classifies memory impairment as objective memory impairment and subjective memory impairment and the other that classifies it as impairment in anterograde memory versus impairment in retrograde memory. Objective memory can be roughly defined as the ability to retrieve stored information and can be measured by various standardized neuropsychological tests. Subjective memory or meta-memory, on the other hand, refers to the ability to make judgments about one's ability to retrieve stored information.[58] As described previously, it has been conclusively demonstrated that anterograde memory impairment does not persist beyond 2 weeks after ECT.[57] However, one of the major limitations of this meta-analysis was the lack of evidence on retrograde amnesia following ECT. This is particularly unfortunate considering that it is memory impairment – particularly retrograde amnesia which has received the most attention.[59] In addition, reports of catastrophic retrograde amnesia have been repeatedly held up as sensational evidence of the lasting brain damage produced by ECT.[59] Admittedly, studies on retrograde amnesia are fewer and less conclusive than on anterograde amnesia.[60],[61] At present, the results are conflicting, with some studies finding some impairment in retrograde memory – particularly autobiographical retrograde memory up to 6 months after ECT.[62],[63],[64],[65] However, more recent studies have failed to support this finding.[66],[67] While they do demonstrate an impairment in retrograde memory immediately after ECT, it was seen that this deficit returned to pre-ECT levels within a span of 1–2 months and improved beyond baseline performance at 6 months post ECT.[66] Adding to the confusion are numerous factors which confound the assessment of retrograde amnesia.

It has been shown that depressive symptoms can produce significant impairment of retrograde memory.[68],[69] It has also been demonstrated that sine-wave ECT produces significantly more impairment of retrograde memory as compared to brief-pulse ECT.[70] However, from the 1990s onward, sine-wave ECT has been completely replaced by brief-pulse ECT, and it is unclear as to the implications of cognitive impairment from the sine-wave era in contemporary ECT practice.Another area of concern are reports of subjective memory impairment following ECT. One of the pioneers of research into subjective memory impairment were Squire and Chace who published a series of studies in the 1970s demonstrating the adverse effect of bilateral ECT on subjective assessment of memory.[62],[63],[64],[65] However, most of the studies conducted post 1980 – from when sine-wave ECT was replaced by brief-pulse ECT report a general improvement in subjective memory assessments following ECT.[71] In addition, most of the recent studies have failed to find a significant association between measures of subjective and objective memory.[63],[66],[70],[72],[73],[74] It has also been shown that subjective memory impairment is strongly associated with the severity of depressive symptoms.[75] In light of these facts, the validity and value of measures of subjective memory impairment as a marker of cognitive impairment and brain damage following ECT have been questioned. However, concerns regarding subjective memory impairment and catastrophic retrograde amnesia continue to persist, with significant dissonance between the findings of different research groups and patient self-reports in various media.[57]Some studies reported the possibility of ECT being associated with the development of subsequent dementia.[76],[77] However, a recent large, well-controlled prospective Danish study found that the use of ECT was not associated with elevated incidence of dementia.[78] Conclusion Our titular question is whether ECT leads to brain damage, where damage indicates destruction or degeneration of nerves or nerve tracts in the brain, which leads to loss of function. This issue was last addressed by Devanand et al. In 1994 since which time our understanding of ECT has grown substantially, helped particularly by the advent of modern-day neuroimaging techniques which we have reviewed in detail.

And, what these studies reveal is rather than damaging the brain, ECT has a neuromodulatory effect on the brain. The various lines of evidence – structural neuroimaging studies, functional neuroimaging studies, neurochemical and metabolic studies, and serum BDNF studies all point toward this. These neuromodulatory changes have been localized to the hippocampus, amygdala, and certain other parts of the limbic system. How exactly these changes mediate the improvement of depressive symptoms is a question that remains unanswered. However, there is little by way of evidence from neuroimaging studies which indicates that ECT causes destruction or degeneration of neurons.

Though cognitive impairment studies do show that there is objective impairment of certain functions – particularly memory immediately after ECT, these impairments are transient with full recovery within a span of 2 weeks. Perhaps, the single-most important unaddressed concern is retrograde amnesia, which has been shown to persist for up to 2 months post ECT. In this regard, the recent neurometabolic studies have offered a tentative mechanism of action of ECT, producing a transient inflammation in the limbic cortex, which, in turn, drives neurogenesis, thereby exerting a neuromodulatory effect. This hypothesis would explain both the cognitive adverse effects of ECT – due to the transient inflammation – and the long-term improvement in mood – neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Although unproven at present, such a hypothesis would imply that cognitive impairment is tied in with the mechanism of action of ECT and not an indicator of damage to the brain produced by ECT.The review of literature suggests that ECT does cause at least structural and functional changes in the brain, and these are in all probability related to the effects of the ECT.

However, these cannot be construed as brain damage as is usually understood. Due to the relative scarcity of data that directly examines the question of whether ECT causes brain damage, it is not possible to conclusively answer this question. However, in light of enduring ECT survivor accounts, there is a need to design studies that specifically answer this question.Financial support and sponsorshipNil.Conflicts of interestThere are no conflicts of interest. References 1.Payne NA, Prudic J. Electroconvulsive therapy.

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23.Lyden H, Espinoza RT, Pirnia T, Clark K, Joshi SH, Leaver AM, et al. Electroconvulsive therapy mediates neuroplasticity of white matter microstructure in major depression. Transl Psychiatry 2014;4:e380. 24.Bouckaert F, De Winter FL, Emsell L, Dols A, Rhebergen D, Wampers M, et al. Grey matter volume increase following electroconvulsive therapy in patients with late life depression.

A longitudinal MRI study. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2016;41:105-14. 25.Ota M, Noda T, Sato N, Okazaki M, Ishikawa M, Hattori K, et al. Effect of electroconvulsive therapy on gray matter volume in major depressive disorder. J Affect Disord 2015;186:186-91.

26.Zeng J, Luo Q, Du L, Liao W, Li Y, Liu H, et al. Reorganization of anatomical connectome following electroconvulsive therapy in major depressive disorder. Neural Plast 2015;2015:271674. 27.van Eijndhoven P, Mulders P, Kwekkeboom L, van Oostrom I, van Beek M, Janzing J, et al. Bilateral ECT induces bilateral increases in regional cortical thickness.

Transl Psychiatry 2016;6:e874. 28.Bouckaert F, Dols A, Emsell L, De Winter FL, Vansteelandt K, Claes L, et al. Relationship between hippocampal volume, serum BDNF, and depression severity following electroconvulsive therapy in late-life depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016;41:2741-8. 29.Depping MS, Nolte HM, Hirjak D, Palm E, Hofer S, Stieltjes B, et al.

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31.Wade BS, Joshi SH, Njau S, Leaver AM, Vasavada M, Woods RP, et al. Effect of electroconvulsive therapy on striatal morphometry in major depressive disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016;41:2481-91. 32.Wolf RC, Nolte HM, Hirjak D, Hofer S, Seidl U, Depping MS, et al. Structural network changes in patients with major depression and schizophrenia treated with electroconvulsive therapy.

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34.Michael N, Erfurth A, Ohrmann P, Arolt V, Heindel W, Pfleiderer B. Metabolic changes within the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex occurring with electroconvulsive therapy in patients with treatment resistant unipolar depression. Psychol Med 2003;33:1277-84. 35.Michael N, Erfurth A, Ohrmann P, Arolt V, Heindel W, Pfleiderer B. Neurotrophic effects of electroconvulsive therapy.

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37.Merkl A, Schubert F, Quante A, Luborzewski A, Brakemeier EL, Grimm S, et al. Abnormal cingulate and prefrontal cortical neurochemistry in major depression after electroconvulsive therapy. Biol Psychiatry 2011;69:772-9. 38.Jorgensen A, Magnusson P, Hanson LG, Kirkegaard T, Benveniste H, Lee H, et al. Regional brain volumes, diffusivity, and metabolite changes after electroconvulsive therapy for severe depression.

Acta Psychiatr Scand 2016;133:154-64. 39.Njau S, Joshi SH, Espinoza R, Leaver AM, Vasavada M, Marquina A, et al. Neurochemical correlates of rapid treatment response to electroconvulsive therapy in patients with major depression. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2017;42:6-16. 40.Cano M, Martínez-Zalacaín I, Bernabéu-Sanz Á, Contreras-Rodríguez O, Hernández-Ribas R, Via E, et al.

Brain volumetric and metabolic correlates of electroconvulsive therapy for treatment-resistant depression. A longitudinal neuroimaging study. Transl Psychiatry 2017;7:e1023. 41.Figiel GS, Krishnan KR, Doraiswamy PM. Subcortical structural changes in ECT-induced delirium.

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The synaptic consolidation hypothesis. Prog Neurobiol 2005;76:99-125. 51.Duman RS, Monteggia LM. A neurotrophic model for stress-related mood disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2006;59:1116-27.

52.Bocchio-Chiavetto L, Bagnardi V, Zanardini R, Molteni R, Nielsen MG, Placentino A, et al. Serum and plasma BDNF levels in major depression. A replication study and meta-analyses. World J Biol Psychiatry 2010;11:763-73. 53.Brunoni AR, Lopes M, Fregni F.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studies on major depression and BDNF levels. Implications for the role of neuroplasticity in depression. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2008;11:1169-80. 54.Rocha RB, Dondossola ER, Grande AJ, Colonetti T, Ceretta LB, Passos IC, et al. Increased BDNF levels after electroconvulsive therapy in patients with major depressive disorder.

A meta-analysis study. J Psychiatr Res 2016;83:47-53. 55.UK ECT Review Group. Efficacy and safety of electroconvulsive therapy in depressive disorders. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

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58.Tulving E, Madigan SA. Memory and verbal learning. Annu Rev Psychol 1970;21:437-84. 59.Rose D, Fleischmann P, Wykes T, Leese M, Bindman J. Patients' perspectives on electroconvulsive therapy.

Systematic review. BMJ 2003;326:1363. 60.Semkovska M, McLoughlin DM. Measuring retrograde autobiographical amnesia following electroconvulsive therapy. Historical perspective and current issues.

J ECT 2013;29:127-33. 61.Fraser LM, O'Carroll RE, Ebmeier KP. The effect of electroconvulsive therapy on autobiographical memory. A systematic review. J ECT 2008;24:10-7.

62.Squire LR, Chace PM. Memory functions six to nine months after electroconvulsive therapy. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1975;32:1557-64. 63.Squire LR, Slater PC. Electroconvulsive therapy and complaints of memory dysfunction.

A prospective three-year follow-up study. Br J Psychiatry 1983;142:1-8. 64.Squire LR, Slater PC, Miller PL. Retrograde amnesia and bilateral electroconvulsive therapy. Long-term follow-up.

Arch Gen Psychiatry 1981;38:89-95. 65.Squire LR, Wetzel CD, Slater PC. Memory complaint after electroconvulsive therapy. Assessment with a new self-rating instrument. Biol Psychiatry 1979;14:791-801.

66.Calev A, Nigal D, Shapira B, Tubi N, Chazan S, Ben-Yehuda Y, et al. Early and long-term effects of electroconvulsive therapy and depression on memory and other cognitive functions. J Nerv Ment Dis 1991;179:526-33. 67.Sackeim HA, Prudic J, Devanand DP, Nobler MS, Lisanby SH, Peyser S, et al. A prospective, randomized, double-blind comparison of bilateral and right unilateral electroconvulsive therapy at different stimulus intensities.

Arch Gen Psychiatry 2000;57:425-34. 68.Abrams R. Does brief-pulse ECT cause persistent or permanent memory impairment?. J ECT 2002;18:71-3. 69.Peretti CS, Danion JM, Grangé D, Mobarek N.

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Ann N Y Acad Sci 1986;462:315-25. 71.Prudic J, Peyser S, Sackeim HA. Subjective memory complaints. A review of patient self-assessment of memory after electroconvulsive therapy. J ECT 2000;16:121-32.

72.Sackeim HA, Prudic J, Devanand DP, Kiersky JE, Fitzsimons L, Moody BJ, et al. Effects of stimulus intensity and electrode placement on the efficacy and cognitive effects of electroconvulsive therapy. N Engl J Med 1993;328:839-46. 73.Frith CD, Stevens M, Johnstone EC, Deakin JF, Lawler P, Crow TJ. Effects of ECT and depression on various aspects of memory.

Br J Psychiatry 1983;142:610-7. 74.Ng C, Schweitzer I, Alexopoulos P, Celi E, Wong L, Tuckwell V, et al. Efficacy and cognitive effects of right unilateral electroconvulsive therapy. J ECT 2000;16:370-9. 75.Coleman EA, Sackeim HA, Prudic J, Devanand DP, McElhiney MC, Moody BJ.

Subjective memory complaints prior to and following electroconvulsive therapy. Biol Psychiatry 1996;39:346-56. 76.Berggren Š, Gustafson L, Höglund P, Johanson A. A long-term longitudinal follow-up of depressed patients treated with ECT with special focus on development of dementia. J Affect Disord 2016;200:15-24.

77.Brodaty H, Hickie I, Mason C, Prenter L. A prospective follow-up study of ECT outcome in older depressed patients. J Affect Disord 2000;60:101-11. 78.Osler M, Rozing MP, Christensen GT, Andersen PK, Jørgensen MB. Electroconvulsive therapy and risk of dementia in patients with affective disorders.

A cohort study. Lancet Psychiatry 2018;5:348-56. Correspondence Address:Dr. Shubh Mohan SinghDepartment of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh IndiaSource of Support. None, Conflict of Interest.

NoneDOI. 10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_239_19 Tables [Table 1], [Table 2].

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If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If you do not remember until the next day, take only that day's dose. Do not take double or extra doses.

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UNFPA, the agency specializing in reproductive and maternal health worldwide, is working with 12 partners on the ground to distribute dignity kits, which contain sanitary propecia without side effects pads, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste and towels. These items are helping women and girls maintain their personal hygiene even amid the destruction and displacement.This is essential, community members have emphasized.“Just like I would want my girls to be fed, I propecia without side effects would also want them to have these basic hygienic needs”, said Hayat Merhi, a woman with three adolescent daughters whose family was affected by the blast.propecia, economic turmoilThe blast and its aftermath comes on top of the hair loss treatment propecia and an economic crisis, years in the making. Job losses have curtailed family spending, even as disease prevention is becoming more urgent than ever.Too often, the needs of women and girls are the first to go unmet.“There was a time when my daughters were using a piece of cloth instead of pads", said Lina Mroueh, who also has three adolescent daughters.UNFPA partners have been canvassing blast-impacted areas as they distribute the dignity kits, speaking with women and girls about their circumstances.

The work is challenging, but rewarding, they say.“Bringing light into their broken homes and telling women and girls that their dignity, safety and personal needs matter to the world in these difficult times is the least we can do,” described Rima Al Hussayni, director of Al Mithaq Association.Life-saving informationThe distribution of dignity kits is propecia without side effects also an opportunity to address yet another crisis. Gender-based violence, according to UNFPA.Gender-based violence is known to increase in humanitarian settings and in times of economic stress. Amid the propecia, many countries are reporting increased propecia without side effects violence against women and rising demands for support services.“It is very important to remember that dignity kits are helpful to women and girls, not only for the menstrual hygiene products, soaps and other items, but also as a way to reach women and girls with key messages about sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence, the prevention of sexual exploitation, and abuse services and information,” said Felicia Jones, UNFPA’s humanitarian coordinator.

UNFPAUNFPA and partners are distributing dignity kits to women in Beirut following the devasting explosion.The dignity kits contain referral information to connect survivors with help. The people distributing the kits are also trained to provide this information.In some cases, they explain even more.“We trained our staff to demonstrate propecia without side effects how to use and maintain the items in the kit”, said Gabby Fraidy of the Lebanese Council to Resist Violence Against Women. €œWe had 11-year-old girls who came to us, and our role was to share information about menstruation and explain to them that it is a natural and a biological process that occurs, and that it’s a part of growing up.”Additional vulnerabilitiesAkkarouna and Al Makassed associations are also distributing dignity kits to women and girls with disabilities, who often face additional vulnerabilities and challenges accessing sexual and reproductive health services and commodities.It is estimated that around 12,000 disabled persons have been affected by the blast.The outbreak in Equateur Province emerged in early June and has now spread into another of its 17 health zones, bringing the total number of affected zones to 12.

So far, there have been 113 cases propecia without side effects and 48 deaths. “The most recently affected area, Bomongo, is the second affected health zone that borders the Republic of Congo, which heightens the chances of this outbreak to spread into another country”, said WHO Spokesperson, Fadéla Chaib, underlining the need for cross-border collaboration and coordination. The risk of the disease spreading as far as Kinshasa is also a very real propecia without side effects concern for the UN agency.

One of the affected areas, Mbandaka, is connected to the capital by a busy river route used by thousands every week. Logistical challenges, community resistance This is the second propecia without side effects Ebola outbreak in Equateur Province and the 11th overall in the DRC, which recently defeated the disease in its volatile eastern region after a two-year battle. This latest western outbreak first surfaced in the city of Mbandaka, home to more than one million people, and subsequently spread to 11 health zones, with active transmission currently occurring in eight.

The health zones all border each propecia without side effects other and cover a large and remote area often only accessible by helicopter or boat. Managing response propecia without side effects logistics in Equateur is difficult as communities are very scattered. Many are in deeply forested areas and reaching them requires travelling long distances.

In some areas, community resistance is also a challenge, propecia without side effects Ms. Chaib added."We learned over years of working on Ebola in DRC how important it is to engage and mobilize communities. WHO is working with UNICEF in engaging religious, youth and community leaders to propecia without side effects raise awareness about Ebola," she said.Health workers on strike The situation has been further complicated by a health worker strike that has affected key response activities for nearly four weeks.

Locally based Ebola responders have been protesting against low salaries as well as non-payment since the start of the outbreak. Although some activities have resumed, many are propecia without side effects still on hold, making it difficult to get an accurate picture of how the epidemic is evolving and which areas need the most attention. Response ‘grossly underfunded’ WHO and partners have been on the ground since the early days of the outbreak.

More than 90 experts are in Equateur, and additional staff have recently been deployed from the capital, including experts in propecia without side effects epidemiology, vaccination, community engagement, prevention and control, laboratory and treatment. Nearly one million travellers have been screened, which helped identify some 72 suspected Ebola cases, thus reducing further spread. However, the UN propecia without side effects agency warned that response is “grossly underfunded”.

WHO has provided some $2.3 million in support so far, and has urged donors to back a $40 million plan by the Congolese government. This latest Ebola outbreak is unfolding amidst the propecia without side effects hair loss treatment propecia. As of Friday, there were more than 10,300 cases and 260 deaths across the vast African nation.

While there are several similarities in addressing the two diseases, such as the need to identify and test contacts, isolate propecia without side effects cases, and promote effective prevention measures, Ms. Chaib stressed that without extra funding, it will be even harder to defeat Ebola..

UNFPA, the agency specializing in reproductive and maternal health worldwide, is working with best price generic propecia 12 partners on the ground to distribute dignity kits, which contain sanitary pads, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste and towels. These items are helping women and girls maintain their personal hygiene even amid the destruction and displacement.This is essential, community members have emphasized.“Just like I would want my girls to be fed, I would also want them to have these basic hygienic needs”, said Hayat Merhi, a woman best price generic propecia with three adolescent daughters whose family was affected by the blast.propecia, economic turmoilThe blast and its aftermath comes on top of the hair loss treatment propecia and an economic crisis, years in the making. Job losses have curtailed family spending, even as disease prevention is becoming more urgent than ever.Too often, the needs of women and girls are the first to go unmet.“There was a time when my daughters were using a piece of cloth instead of pads", said Lina Mroueh, who also has three adolescent daughters.UNFPA partners have been canvassing blast-impacted areas as they distribute the dignity kits, speaking with women and girls about their circumstances. The work is challenging, but rewarding, they say.“Bringing light into their broken homes and telling women and girls that their dignity, safety and personal needs matter to the world in these difficult times is the least we can do,” described Rima Al Hussayni, director of Al Mithaq Association.Life-saving informationThe distribution of dignity kits is also an opportunity to address yet best price generic propecia another crisis.

Gender-based violence, according to UNFPA.Gender-based violence is known to increase in humanitarian settings and in times of economic stress. Amid the propecia, many countries are reporting increased violence against women and rising demands for support services.“It is very important to remember that dignity kits are helpful to women and girls, not only for the menstrual hygiene products, soaps and other items, but also as a way to reach women and girls with key messages about sexual best price generic propecia and reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence, the prevention of sexual exploitation, and abuse services and information,” said Felicia Jones, UNFPA’s humanitarian coordinator. UNFPAUNFPA and partners are distributing dignity kits to women in Beirut following the devasting explosion.The dignity kits contain referral information to connect survivors with help. The people best price generic propecia distributing the kits are also trained to provide this information.In some cases, they explain even more.“We trained our staff to demonstrate how to use and maintain the items in the kit”, said Gabby Fraidy of the Lebanese Council to Resist Violence Against Women.

€œWe had 11-year-old girls who came to us, and our role was to share information about menstruation and explain to them that it is a natural and a biological process that occurs, and that it’s a part of growing up.”Additional vulnerabilitiesAkkarouna and Al Makassed associations are also distributing dignity kits to women and girls with disabilities, who often face additional vulnerabilities and challenges accessing sexual and reproductive health services and commodities.It is estimated that around 12,000 disabled persons have been affected by the blast.The outbreak in Equateur Province emerged in early June and has now spread into another of its 17 health zones, bringing the total number of affected zones to 12. So far, best price generic propecia there have been 113 cases and 48 deaths. “The most recently affected area, Bomongo, is the second affected health zone that borders the Republic of Congo, which heightens the chances of this outbreak to spread into another country”, said WHO Spokesperson, Fadéla Chaib, underlining the need for cross-border collaboration and coordination. The risk best price generic propecia of the disease spreading as far as Kinshasa is also a very real concern for the UN agency.

One of the affected areas, Mbandaka, is connected to the capital by a busy river route used by thousands every week. Logistical challenges, community resistance This is the second Ebola outbreak in best price generic propecia Equateur Province and the 11th overall in the DRC, which recently defeated the disease in its volatile eastern region after a two-year battle. This latest western outbreak first surfaced in the city of Mbandaka, home to more than one million people, and subsequently spread to 11 health zones, with active transmission currently occurring in eight. The health zones all border best price generic propecia each other and cover a large and remote area often only accessible by helicopter or boat.

Managing response logistics in Equateur is difficult as communities best price generic propecia are very scattered. Many are in deeply forested areas and reaching them requires travelling long distances. In some areas, community resistance is best price generic propecia also a challenge, Ms. Chaib added."We learned over years of working on Ebola in DRC how important it is to engage and mobilize communities.

WHO is best price generic propecia working with UNICEF in engaging religious, youth and community leaders to raise awareness about Ebola," she said.Health workers on strike The situation has been further complicated by a health worker strike that has affected key response activities for nearly four weeks. Locally based Ebola responders have been protesting against low salaries as well as non-payment since the start of the outbreak. Although some activities have resumed, many are still on hold, making it difficult to get best price generic propecia an accurate picture of how the epidemic is evolving and which areas need the most attention. Response ‘grossly underfunded’ WHO and partners have been on the ground since the early days of the outbreak.

More best price generic propecia than 90 experts are in Equateur, and additional staff have recently been deployed from the capital, including experts in epidemiology, vaccination, community engagement, prevention and control, laboratory and treatment. Nearly one million travellers have been screened, which helped identify some 72 suspected Ebola cases, thus reducing further spread. However, the UN agency warned that response best price generic propecia is “grossly underfunded”. WHO has provided some $2.3 million in support so far, and has urged donors to back a $40 million plan by the Congolese government.

This latest Ebola best price generic propecia outbreak is unfolding amidst the hair loss treatment propecia. As of Friday, there were more than 10,300 cases and 260 deaths across the vast African nation. While there are several similarities in addressing the two diseases, such as the best price generic propecia need to identify and test contacts, isolate cases, and promote effective prevention measures, Ms. Chaib stressed that without extra funding, it will be even harder to defeat Ebola..

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Terminal sterilization processes for drugs 2021-05-03 111 Canada and European Union - Recognition propecia the hair growth breakthrough of good manufacturing practices extra-jurisdictional inspection outcomes 2021-04-22 110 Veterinary antimicrobial sales reporting 2021-03-04 109 Changes to the drug establishment licence exemptions for hand sanitizers 2021-03-02 108 Reminder Discount generic propecia. Cost-benefit analysis survey on proposed regulations due March 1, 2021 2021-02-18 107 CETA Regulatory Cooperation Forum – Stakeholder debrief meeting, February 10, 2021 2021-02-01 106 Health Canada nitrosamines webinar, February 10, 2021 2021-01-15 105 Transition measures for exceptional importation interim order 2021-01-25 104 Invitation stakeholder information session on the allocation of drugs accessed via exceptional importation 2021-01-19 103 Nitrosamine update to market authorisation holders of human pharmaceutical, biological and radiopharmaceutical products 2020-12-16 102 Consultation on the recommendations for interoperability of track and trace systems for medicines 2020-12-15 101 Brexit. Summary information for Canadian companies 2020-12-03 100 New interim order - Safeguarding the drug supply 2020-12-03 99 New hair loss treatment hold for certain DEL applications 2020-11-13 98 Health Canada is adding tools to help prevent and alleviate drug shortages related to the hair loss treatment propecia 2020-10-28 97 Notice of consultation (GUI-0026) 2020-10-07 96 Electronic issuance of pharmaceutical product and good manufacturing practices certificates 2020-10-01 95 New pathway to expedite the authorization for importing, selling and advertising of hair loss treatment drugs 2020-09-21 94 Notice of publication (GUI-0066 and GUI-0069) 2020-08-25 93 Notice of webinar (GUI-0069) 2020-08-13 92 Guidance.

Importing and exporting health products for commercial use (GUI-0117) 2020-08-13 91 Extension revised to complete risk assessments for nitrosamine impurities 2020-08-10 90 Notice of publication (GUI-0005) 2020-08-20 89 Coming into force of regulatory amendments (CUSMA) (June 30, 2020) 2020-06-30 88 Enhanced guidance to support submission of proposals for inclusion on propecia the hair growth breakthrough List of Drugs for Exceptional Import and Sale 2020-06-25 87 Updated question and answer document regarding nitrosamine impurities 2020-06-12 86 Guidance on transportation and storage considerations 2020-05-15 85 Requests for Information on additional supply of certain drugs used in the treatment of hair loss treatment 2020-04-22 84 Guidance on business impact mitigation and additional measures for operational relief amid hair loss treatment 2020-04-16 83 Health Canada hair loss treatment update for health product licence holders 2020-04-09 82 Health Canada is taking action to quickly respond to potential drug shortages during the hair loss treatment propecia 2020-04-06 81 Electronic issuance of drug establishment licences 2020-04-02 80 Revised drug establishment licences (DEL) guides and form 2020-04-01 79 Information to market authorization holders (MAHs) of human pharmaceutical products regarding nitrosamine impurities 2020-03-27 78 Health product inspections and licensing blog 2020-03-27 77 Health Canada alleviates confirmatory and identity testing requirements for certain low-risk non-prescription drugs 2020-03-26 76 Canada announces interim drug product testing measures for licensed importers 2020-03-23 75 Approach to management of hair loss treatment 2020-03-17 74 hair loss treatment disinfectants and hand sanitizers 2020-03-17 73 Cost associated with foreign on-site assessments 2020-03-06 72 Notice of consultation (Annex 1) 2020-02-20 71 Important reminders (environmental crisis hair loss) 2020-02-19 70 Notice of consultation - Annex 4 to the good manufacturing practices guide – Veterinary drugs (GUI-0012) 2020-02-19 69 Small business training session 2020-02-19 68 ALR webex links 2020-02-05 67 Health Canada stakeholder information webinar - Nitrosamines in pharmaceuticals, January 31, 2020 2020-01-24 66 Introduction of telecommunication tools during GMP inspections 2020-01-17 65 CETA Regulatory Cooperation Forum - Stakeholder debrief meeting, February 4, 2020 2020-01-16 64 Follow-up to letter to drug establishment licence (DEL) holders to inform them about steps to take to avoid nitrosamine impurities 2019-12-05 63 Notice of consultation PIC/S GMP guide 2019-12-02 62 Management of applications and performance for drug establishment licences (GUI-0127) 2019-11-29 61 Training sessions on revised guidance documents related to the Fees in Respect of Drugs and Medical Devices Order 2019-12-29 60 Canada-EU CETA Civil Society Forum call for participation 2019-11-06 59 Migration of drug establishment licence (DEL) API foreign building data to the DEL database 2019-11-06 58 Terms and conditions relating to angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), known as “sartans” 2019-11-06 57 Letter to market authorization holders of human pharmaceutical products to inform on steps to take to avoid nitrosamine impurities 2019-11-06 56 Transition period for new DEL requirements for active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) for veterinary use 2019-11-05 55 Revised fees for drugs and medical devices 2019-05-17 54 Survey on Canadian drug exportation 2019-05-02 53 Certificate of pharmaceutical product &. Good manufacturing practice certificate annual fee increase 2019-04-10 52 Health Canada’s fees for drugs and medical devices 2019-04-01 51 Best practices for submitting drug establishment licence (DEL) applications 2019-03-22 50 Stakeholder webinar presentation on the expanded sunscreen pilot 2019-02-18 49 Annual licence review webinar presentation and recording 2019-01-30 48 Pause-the-clock proposal webinar presentation and recording 2019-01-26 47 Additional Information regarding the expanded sunscreen pilot 2019-01-22 46 Presentation and recording on GUI-0031 webinar 2019-01-11 45 Notice to stakeholders – Release of good manufacturing practices for active pharmaceutical ingredients (GUI-0104) for consultation 2018-12-31 44 DEL annual licence review webinar 2018-12-21 43 Notice of consultation GUI-0069 2018-12-20 42 Notifying Health Canada of foreign actions - Guidance document for industry 2018-12-19 41 Launch of the expanded sunscreen pilot 2018-11-29 40 Webinar stop-the-clock 2018-11-28 39 Notice of consultation GUI-0028 &. GUI-0029 2018-11-21 38 Call of expression of interest 2018-11-14 37 Technical issue with the Drug &.

Health Product Inspection Database 2018-11-07 36 Inclusion of API in Australia-Canada Mutual Recognition Agreement 2018-11-01 35 Pause-the-clock proposal for drug and medical device establishment licence applications 2018-10-18 34 Introducing new blog 2018-10-15 33 Important reminders – Hurricane Florence 2018-09-27 32 Health Minister announces access to a U.S.-approved epinephrine auto-injector 2018-09-04 31 Stakeholder engagement seminars (GUI-0001) 2018-09-04 30 Notice of publication – GUI-0071 2018-07-10 29 Notice of consultation – GUI-0071 2018-07-05 28 Licensing requirements for reclassified high-level disinfectants and sterilants as medical devices 2018-07-23 27 Webinar GUI-0001 2018-06-01 26 Revised fee proposal for drugs and medical devices 2018-05-25 25 Important notice to stakeholders regarding revisions of drug establishment licensing guidance documents and forms as a result of amendments to the Food and Drug Regulations 2018-05-22 24 Antimicrobial regulatory amendment webinars affecting veterinary drugs – Drug establishment licensing and good manufacturing practices requirements 2018-03-29 23 GUI-0031 webinar 2018-03-15 22 Notice of publication 2018-02-18 21 Antimicrobial regulator amendment webinars affecting veterinary drugs – Health Canada 2018-02-07 20 GUI-0080 2018-01-09 19 Notice of consultation 2017-12-22 18 Pilot for sunscreen products 2017-12-21 17 Implementation of establishment licensing requirements for atypical active pharmaceutical ingredients 2017-11-29 16 Important reminders – Puerto Rico 2017-10-04 15 Importation of drugs for an urgent public health need 2017-07-05 14 Change to the Health Canada website 2017-06-08 13 Publication of Proposed Regulations Amending the Food and Drug Regulations (Vanessa’s Law) in propecia the hair growth breakthrough Canada Gazette, Part I [2017-05-05] 2017-05-05 12 Publication of proposed regulations amending the Food and Drug Regulations (importation of drugs for an urgent public health need ) in Canada Gazette, Part I 2017-05-02 11 Certificate of pharmaceutical product and good manufacturing practice certificate annual fee increase 2017-03-31 10 Annual licence review product list 2017-02-03 9 Launch of the new pilot for sunscreen products 2017-01-27 8 Notice of consultation 2017-01-18 7 Implementation of a new pilot for sunscreens 2016-12-22 6 Reminder. Active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) application screening as of November 8, 2016 2016-11-08 5 Reminder. Table B for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) 2016-11-08 4 Implementation of establishment licensing requirements for atypical active pharmaceutical ingredients 2016-11-04 3 Important notice to stakeholders regarding drug establishment licence applications submitted on portable storage devices 2016-09-20 2 Good manufacturing practices requirements for foreign buildings conducting activities in relation to active pharmaceutical ingredients destined for Canada or used to fabricate finished dosage forms destined for Canada 2016-08-04 1 Changes to the application process related to foreign buildings listed on drug establishment licences 2016-07-21MDEL Bulletin, June 24 2021, from the Medical Devices Compliance Program On this page Fees for Medical Device Establishment Licences (MDELs) We issue Medical Device Establishment Licences (MDELs) to.

class I manufacturers importers or distributors of all device classes for human use in Canada The MDEL fee is propecia the hair growth breakthrough a flat fee, regardless of when we receive your initial application. The same fee applies to applications for. a new MDEL the reinstatement of a suspended MDEL the annual licence review (ALR) of an MDEL If you submit any of these applications, you must pay the MDEL fee when you receive an invoice.

See Part 3, Division propecia the hair growth breakthrough 2 of the Fees in Respect of Drugs and Medical Devices Order. Normally, we collect the MDEL fee before we review an application. However, to help meet the demand for medical devices during the hair loss treatment propecia, we have been reviewing and processing MDEL applications before collecting the fees.

As a result, some MDEL holders still haven't paid the fees for their 2020 initial MDEL propecia the hair growth breakthrough application, despite multiple reminders. Authority to withhold services in case of non-payment As stated in the Food and Drug Act, Health Canada has the authority to withhold services, approvals, rights and/or privileges, if the fee for an MDEL application is not paid. Non-payment of fees 30.64.

The Minister may withdraw or withhold a service, the use of a facility, a regulatory process or approval or a product, right or privilege under this Act from any person propecia the hair growth breakthrough who fails to pay the fee fixed for it under subsection 30.61(1). For more information, please refer to. Cancellation of existing MDELs We will cancel MDELs for existing MDEL holders with outstanding fees for.

initial applications or annual licence review applications If your establishment licence is cancelled, you are no longer authorized to conduct licensable activities (such as manufacturing, distributing or importing medical devices). You must stop licensable activities as soon as you receive your cancellation notice. Resuming activities after MDEL cancellation To resume licensable activities, you must re-apply for a new establishment licence and pay the MDEL fee.

See section 45 of the Medical Device Regulations. To find out how to re-apply for a MDEL, please refer to our Guidance on medical device establishment licensing (GUI-0016). In line with the Compliance and Enforcement Policy (POL-0001), Health Canada monitors activities for compliance.

If your MDEL has been cancelled, you may be subject to compliance and enforcement actions if you conduct non-compliant activities. If you have questions about a MDEL or the application process, please contact the Medical Device Establishment Licensing Unit at hc.mdel.questions.leim.sc@canada.ca. If you have questions about invoicing and fees for an MDEL application, please contact the Cost Recovery Invoicing Unit at hc.criu-ufrc.sc@canada.ca.

Terminal sterilization processes for drugs 2021-05-03 111 Canada and European Union - Recognition of good manufacturing practices extra-jurisdictional inspection outcomes 2021-04-22 110 Veterinary antimicrobial sales reporting 2021-03-04 109 Changes to the drug establishment licence exemptions for hand sanitizers best price generic propecia 2021-03-02 108 Reminder. Cost-benefit analysis survey on proposed regulations due March 1, 2021 2021-02-18 107 CETA Regulatory Cooperation Forum – Stakeholder debrief meeting, February 10, 2021 2021-02-01 106 Health Canada nitrosamines webinar, February 10, 2021 2021-01-15 105 Transition measures for exceptional importation interim order 2021-01-25 104 Invitation stakeholder information session on the allocation of drugs accessed via exceptional importation 2021-01-19 103 Nitrosamine update to market authorisation holders of human pharmaceutical, biological and radiopharmaceutical products 2020-12-16 102 Consultation on the recommendations for interoperability of track and trace systems for medicines 2020-12-15 101 Brexit. Summary information for Canadian companies 2020-12-03 100 New interim order - Safeguarding the drug supply 2020-12-03 99 New hair loss treatment hold for certain DEL applications 2020-11-13 98 Health Canada is adding tools to help prevent and alleviate drug shortages related to the hair loss treatment propecia 2020-10-28 97 Notice of consultation (GUI-0026) 2020-10-07 96 Electronic issuance of pharmaceutical product and good manufacturing practices certificates 2020-10-01 95 New pathway to expedite the authorization for importing, selling and advertising of hair loss treatment drugs 2020-09-21 94 Notice of publication (GUI-0066 and GUI-0069) 2020-08-25 93 Notice of webinar (GUI-0069) 2020-08-13 92 Guidance. Importing and exporting health products for commercial use (GUI-0117) 2020-08-13 91 Extension revised to complete risk assessments for nitrosamine impurities 2020-08-10 90 Notice of publication (GUI-0005) 2020-08-20 89 Coming into force of regulatory amendments (CUSMA) (June 30, 2020) 2020-06-30 88 Enhanced guidance to support submission of proposals for inclusion on List of Drugs for Exceptional Import and Sale 2020-06-25 87 Updated question and answer document regarding nitrosamine impurities 2020-06-12 86 Guidance on transportation and storage considerations 2020-05-15 85 Requests for Information on additional supply of certain drugs used in the treatment of hair loss treatment 2020-04-22 84 Guidance on business impact mitigation and additional measures for operational relief amid hair loss treatment 2020-04-16 83 Health Canada hair loss treatment update for health product licence holders 2020-04-09 82 Health Canada is taking action to quickly respond to potential drug shortages during the hair loss treatment propecia 2020-04-06 81 Electronic issuance of drug establishment licences 2020-04-02 80 Revised drug establishment licences (DEL) guides and form 2020-04-01 79 Information to market authorization holders (MAHs) of human pharmaceutical products regarding nitrosamine impurities 2020-03-27 78 Health product inspections and licensing blog 2020-03-27 77 Health Canada alleviates confirmatory and identity testing requirements for certain low-risk non-prescription drugs 2020-03-26 76 Canada announces interim drug product testing measures for licensed importers 2020-03-23 75 Approach to management of hair loss treatment 2020-03-17 74 hair loss treatment disinfectants and hand sanitizers 2020-03-17 73 Cost associated with foreign on-site assessments 2020-03-06 72 Notice of consultation (Annex 1) 2020-02-20 best price generic propecia 71 Important reminders (environmental crisis hair loss) 2020-02-19 70 Notice of consultation - Annex 4 to the good manufacturing practices guide – Veterinary drugs (GUI-0012) 2020-02-19 69 Small business training session 2020-02-19 68 ALR webex links 2020-02-05 67 Health Canada stakeholder information webinar - Nitrosamines in pharmaceuticals, January 31, 2020 2020-01-24 66 Introduction of telecommunication tools during GMP inspections 2020-01-17 65 CETA Regulatory Cooperation Forum - Stakeholder debrief meeting, February 4, 2020 2020-01-16 64 Follow-up to letter to drug establishment licence (DEL) holders to inform them about steps to take to avoid nitrosamine impurities 2019-12-05 63 Notice of consultation PIC/S GMP guide 2019-12-02 62 Management of applications and performance for drug establishment licences (GUI-0127) 2019-11-29 61 Training sessions on revised guidance documents related to the Fees in Respect of Drugs and Medical Devices Order 2019-12-29 60 Canada-EU CETA Civil Society Forum call for participation 2019-11-06 59 Migration of drug establishment licence (DEL) API foreign building data to the DEL database 2019-11-06 58 Terms and conditions relating to angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), known as “sartans” 2019-11-06 57 Letter to market authorization holders of human pharmaceutical products to inform on steps to take to avoid nitrosamine impurities 2019-11-06 56 Transition period for new DEL requirements for active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) for veterinary use 2019-11-05 55 Revised fees for drugs and medical devices 2019-05-17 54 Survey on Canadian drug exportation 2019-05-02 53 Certificate of pharmaceutical product &.

Good manufacturing practice certificate annual fee increase 2019-04-10 52 Health Canada’s fees for drugs and medical devices 2019-04-01 51 Best practices for submitting drug establishment licence (DEL) applications 2019-03-22 50 Stakeholder webinar presentation on the expanded sunscreen pilot 2019-02-18 49 Annual licence review webinar presentation and recording 2019-01-30 48 Pause-the-clock proposal webinar presentation and recording 2019-01-26 47 Additional Information regarding the expanded sunscreen pilot 2019-01-22 46 Presentation and recording on GUI-0031 webinar 2019-01-11 45 Notice to stakeholders – Release of good manufacturing practices for active pharmaceutical ingredients (GUI-0104) for consultation 2018-12-31 44 DEL annual licence review webinar 2018-12-21 43 Notice of consultation GUI-0069 2018-12-20 42 Notifying Health Canada of foreign actions - Guidance document for industry 2018-12-19 41 Launch of the expanded sunscreen pilot 2018-11-29 40 Webinar stop-the-clock 2018-11-28 39 Notice of consultation GUI-0028 &. GUI-0029 2018-11-21 38 Call of expression of interest 2018-11-14 37 Technical issue with the Drug &. Health Product Inspection Database 2018-11-07 36 Inclusion of API in Australia-Canada Mutual Recognition Agreement 2018-11-01 35 Pause-the-clock proposal for drug and medical device establishment licence applications 2018-10-18 34 Introducing new blog 2018-10-15 33 Important reminders – Hurricane Florence 2018-09-27 32 Health Minister announces access to a U.S.-approved epinephrine auto-injector 2018-09-04 31 Stakeholder engagement seminars (GUI-0001) 2018-09-04 30 Notice of publication – GUI-0071 2018-07-10 29 Notice of consultation – GUI-0071 2018-07-05 28 Licensing requirements for reclassified high-level best price generic propecia disinfectants and sterilants as medical devices 2018-07-23 27 Webinar GUI-0001 2018-06-01 26 Revised fee proposal for drugs and medical devices 2018-05-25 25 Important notice to stakeholders regarding revisions of drug establishment licensing guidance documents and forms as a result of amendments to the Food and Drug Regulations 2018-05-22 24 Antimicrobial regulatory amendment webinars affecting veterinary drugs – Drug establishment licensing and good manufacturing practices requirements 2018-03-29 23 GUI-0031 webinar 2018-03-15 22 Notice of publication 2018-02-18 21 Antimicrobial regulator amendment webinars affecting veterinary drugs – Health Canada 2018-02-07 20 GUI-0080 2018-01-09 19 Notice of consultation 2017-12-22 18 Pilot for sunscreen products 2017-12-21 17 Implementation of establishment licensing requirements for atypical active pharmaceutical ingredients 2017-11-29 16 Important reminders – Puerto Rico 2017-10-04 15 Importation of drugs for an urgent public health need 2017-07-05 14 Change to the Health Canada website 2017-06-08 13 Publication of Proposed Regulations Amending the Food and Drug Regulations (Vanessa’s Law) in Canada Gazette, Part I [2017-05-05] 2017-05-05 12 Publication of proposed regulations amending the Food and Drug Regulations (importation of drugs for an urgent public health need ) in Canada Gazette, Part I 2017-05-02 11 Certificate of pharmaceutical product and good manufacturing practice certificate annual fee increase 2017-03-31 10 Annual licence review product list 2017-02-03 9 Launch of the new pilot for sunscreen products 2017-01-27 8 Notice of consultation 2017-01-18 7 Implementation of a new pilot for sunscreens 2016-12-22 6 Reminder. Active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) application screening as of November 8, 2016 2016-11-08 5 Reminder.

Table B for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) 2016-11-08 4 Implementation of establishment licensing requirements for atypical active pharmaceutical ingredients 2016-11-04 3 Important notice to stakeholders regarding drug establishment licence applications submitted on portable storage devices 2016-09-20 2 Good manufacturing practices requirements for foreign buildings conducting activities in relation to active pharmaceutical ingredients destined for Canada or used to fabricate finished dosage forms destined for Canada 2016-08-04 1 Changes to the application process related to foreign buildings listed on drug establishment licences 2016-07-21MDEL Bulletin, June 24 2021, from the Medical Devices Compliance Program On this page Fees for Medical Device Establishment Licences (MDELs) We issue Medical Device Establishment Licences (MDELs) to. class I manufacturers importers or distributors of all device classes for human use in Canada The MDEL fee is a flat best price generic propecia fee, regardless of when we receive your initial application. The same fee applies to applications for. a new MDEL the reinstatement of a suspended MDEL the annual licence review (ALR) of an MDEL If you submit any of these applications, you must pay the MDEL fee when you receive an invoice.

See Part 3, Division 2 best price generic propecia of the Fees in Respect of Drugs and Medical Devices Order. Normally, we collect the MDEL fee before we review an application. However, to help meet the demand for medical devices during the hair loss treatment propecia, we have been reviewing and processing MDEL applications before collecting the fees. As a result, some MDEL holders still haven't paid the fees for their 2020 best price generic propecia initial MDEL application, despite multiple reminders.

Authority to withhold services in case of non-payment As stated in the Food and Drug Act, Health Canada has the authority to withhold services, approvals, rights and/or privileges, if the fee for an MDEL application is not paid. Non-payment of fees 30.64. The Minister may withdraw or withhold a service, the use of a facility, a regulatory process best price generic propecia or approval or a product, right or privilege under this Act from any person who fails to pay the fee fixed for it under subsection 30.61(1). For more information, please refer to.

Cancellation of existing MDELs We will cancel MDELs for existing MDEL holders with outstanding fees for. initial applications or annual licence review applications If your establishment licence is cancelled, you are no longer authorized to conduct licensable activities (such as manufacturing, distributing or importing best price generic propecia medical devices). You must stop licensable activities as soon as you receive your cancellation notice. Resuming activities after MDEL cancellation To resume licensable activities, you must re-apply for a new establishment licence and pay the MDEL fee.

See section 45 of the Medical Device Regulations. To find out how to re-apply for a MDEL, please refer to our Guidance on medical device establishment licensing (GUI-0016). In line with the Compliance and Enforcement Policy (POL-0001), Health Canada monitors activities for compliance. If your MDEL has been cancelled, you may be subject to compliance and enforcement actions if you conduct non-compliant activities.

If you have questions about a MDEL or the application process, please contact the Medical Device Establishment Licensing Unit at hc.mdel.questions.leim.sc@canada.ca. If you have questions about invoicing and fees for an MDEL application, please contact the Cost Recovery Invoicing Unit at hc.criu-ufrc.sc@canada.ca.

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SALT LAKE Who can buy renova CITY, buy propecia online cheap Sept. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Health Catalyst, Inc. ("Health Catalyst", buy propecia online cheap Nasdaq. HCAT), a leading provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations, today announced that Bryan Hunt, CFO, and Adam Brown, SVP of Investor Relations and FP&A, will participate in Cantor Global Healthcare Conference including a fireside chat presentation on Thursday, September 30, 2021 at 1:20 p.m.

ET. A webcast link will be available at https://ir.healthcatalyst.com/investor-relations. About Health Catalyst Health Catalyst is a leading provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations committed to being the catalyst for massive, measurable, data-informed healthcare improvement. Its customers leverage the cloud-based data platform—powered by data from more than 100 million patient records and encompassing trillions of facts—as well as its analytics software and professional services expertise to make data-informed decisions and realize measurable clinical, financial, and operational improvements.

Health Catalyst envisions a future in which all healthcare decisions are data informed. Health Catalyst Investor Relations Contact. Adam BrownSenior Vice President, Investor Relations and FP&A+1 (855)-309-6800ir@healthcatalyst.com Health Catalyst Media Contact. Amanda Hundtamanda.hundt@healthcatalyst.com+1 (575) 491-0974SALT LAKE CITY, Aug.

31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- August 31, 2021 – Health Catalyst, Inc. ("Health Catalyst," Nasdaq. HCAT), a leading provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations, today announced Matt Revis will join the Health Catalyst leadership team. Revis will report directly to Health Catalyst Chief Operating Officer Paul Horstmeier.

Revis will continue to lead the Twistle business, a role he is familiar with, having served as Twistle's President and Chief Operating Officer prior to the acquisition of the patient engagement technology company by Health Catalyst in July 2021."Given the opportunity for patient engagement technology to transform healthcare, it is an incredible time to lead Twistle by Health Catalyst. As we enter the next stage of our journey, it's my aim to drive even greater care outcomes for our healthcare clients and their patients," said Revis. "I look forward to working with my fellow team members across the Health Catalyst organization to ensure Twistle reaches its full potential and delivers on our mission of massive, measurable healthcare improvement."Prior to joining Twistle in 2019, Revis served as a Head of Product at Jibo, where he was responsible for the full product development lifecycle of the world's first social robot for the home. Jibo was named the 2017 Product of the Year by Time Magazine.

Revis also served in leadership roles at Nuance Communications where he helped build the company's healthcare strategy through a mix of product innovation, M&A, and strategic partnership development."Matt's experience driving healthcare strategy and growth through product innovation and strategic partnerships will no doubt help further our global mission of healthcare improvement," said Dan Burton, CEO of Health Catalyst. "We are grateful for his leadership and dedication to Twistle by Health Catalyst and are excited to have him as member of our world class leadership team."About Health CatalystHealth Catalyst is a leading provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations committed to being the catalyst for massive, measurable, data-informed healthcare improvement. Its customers leverage the cloud-based data platform—powered by data from more than 100 million patient records and encompassing trillions of facts—as well as its analytics software and professional services expertise to make data-informed decisions and realize measurable clinical, financial, and operational improvements. Health Catalyst envisions a future in which all healthcare decisions are data informed.Media Contact:Amanda Hundtamanda.hundt@healthcatalyst.com 575-491-0974 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/matt-revis-joins-health-catalyst-leadership-team-301364818.htmlSOURCE Health Catalyst.

SALT LAKE best price generic propecia CITY, Sept. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Health Catalyst, Inc. ("Health Catalyst", Nasdaq best price generic propecia. HCAT), a leading provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations, today announced that Bryan Hunt, CFO, and Adam Brown, SVP of Investor Relations and FP&A, will participate in Cantor Global Healthcare Conference including a fireside chat presentation on Thursday, September 30, 2021 at 1:20 p.m.

ET. A webcast link will be available at https://ir.healthcatalyst.com/investor-relations. About Health Catalyst Health Catalyst is a leading provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations committed to being the catalyst for massive, measurable, data-informed healthcare improvement. Its customers leverage the cloud-based data platform—powered by data from more than 100 million patient records and encompassing trillions of facts—as well as its analytics software and professional services expertise to make data-informed decisions and realize measurable clinical, financial, and operational improvements.

Health Catalyst envisions a future in which all healthcare decisions are data informed. Health Catalyst Investor Relations Contact. Adam BrownSenior Vice President, Investor Relations and FP&A+1 (855)-309-6800ir@healthcatalyst.com Health Catalyst Media Contact. Amanda Hundtamanda.hundt@healthcatalyst.com+1 (575) 491-0974SALT LAKE CITY, Aug.

31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- August 31, 2021 – Health Catalyst, Inc. ("Health Catalyst," Nasdaq. HCAT), a leading provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations, today announced Matt Revis will join the Health Catalyst leadership team. Revis will report directly to Health Catalyst Chief Operating Officer Paul Horstmeier.

Revis will continue to lead the Twistle business, a role he is familiar with, having served as Twistle's President and Chief Operating Officer prior to the acquisition of the patient engagement technology company by Health Catalyst in July 2021."Given the opportunity for patient engagement technology to transform healthcare, it is an incredible time to lead Twistle by Health Catalyst. As we enter the next stage of our journey, it's my aim to drive even greater care outcomes for our healthcare clients and their patients," said Revis. "I look forward to working with my fellow team members across the Health Catalyst organization to ensure Twistle reaches its full potential and delivers on our mission of massive, measurable healthcare improvement."Prior to joining Twistle in 2019, Revis served as a Head of Product at Jibo, where he was responsible for the full product development lifecycle of the world's first social robot for the home. Jibo was named the 2017 Product of the Year by Time Magazine.

Revis also served in leadership roles at Nuance Communications where he helped build the company's healthcare strategy through a mix of product innovation, M&A, and strategic partnership development."Matt's experience driving healthcare strategy and growth through product innovation and strategic partnerships will no doubt help further our global mission of healthcare improvement," said Dan Burton, CEO of Health Catalyst. "We are grateful for his leadership and dedication to Twistle by Health Catalyst and are excited to have him as member of our world class leadership team."About Health CatalystHealth Catalyst is a leading provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations committed to being the catalyst for massive, measurable, data-informed healthcare improvement. Its customers leverage the cloud-based data platform—powered by data from more than 100 million patient records and encompassing trillions of facts—as well as its analytics software and professional services expertise to make data-informed decisions and realize measurable clinical, financial, and operational improvements. Health Catalyst envisions a future in which all healthcare decisions are data informed.Media Contact:Amanda Hundtamanda.hundt@healthcatalyst.com 575-491-0974 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/matt-revis-joins-health-catalyst-leadership-team-301364818.htmlSOURCE Health Catalyst.