Electroconvulsive Therapy and Heat Shock Gene Inactivation in Neurodegenerative Diseases

ECT as an established technique and technology in a variety of psychiatric and neurologic conditions may require reassessment with relevance to memory loss and brain damage. The therapeutic benefit of ECT will depend on heat stress induction and inactivation of the heat shock gene Sirt 1 with relevance to mitochondrial apoptosis and neuron death. ECT and neurostimulation in diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases should allow intact SCN function and activation to avoid sleep/ wake disturbances, heat shock response dysregulation and induction of circadian abnormalities. ECT technology should be used with caution (dose/frequency) in psychiatric individuals with synaptic plasticity defects with relevance to unhealthy diets and core body temperature dysregulation. ECT application may now involve plasma tests for various Sirt 1 regulated protein hormones with relevance to SCN function and circadian signals.