Hippocampal volume change following ECT is mediated by rs699947 in the promotor region of VEGF

Several studies have shown that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) results in increased hippocampal volume. It is likely that a multitude of mechanisms including neurogenesis, gliogenesis, synaptogenesis, angiogenesis, and vasculogenesis contribute to this volume increase. Neurotrophins, like vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) seem to play a crucial mediating role in several of these mechanisms....