Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a very valuable treatment for mood disorders. While previous studies have examined predictors of ECT responsiveness, there is a scarcity of neuroimaging studies examining these predictors. In previous studies, it has been reported that epilepsy is significantly more common in patients with Alzheimer's disease, and it has been suggested that tau accumulation is related to the susceptibility to seizures. Positron emission tomography (PET) with florzolotau (18 F) ([18F]PM-PBB3) allows accurate quantification of tau in the brain cortex. We therefore performed tau PET with florzolotau (18 F) in 14 patients with mood disorders undergoing ECT to determine whether there is a relationship between tau accumulation and susceptibility to ECT. As a result, we found that the more tau accumulates, the more likely it is to produce effective seizures in ECT. Although our study has some limitations, it is suggested that ECT would be the first choice for treatment of depression associated with degenerative pathology such as Alzheimer's disease because tau accumulation might enhance the therapeutic efficacy of ECT.

DOI： 10.1038/s41398-026-04016-3

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

BACKGROUND: Depression in later life is associated with dopaminergic dysfunction and increased risk of neurodegenerative disorders, although the relationship between dopamine transporter (DAT) availability and tau accumulation remains unclear. Although previous studies have linked tau and DAT in neurodegenerative diseases, evidence related to depression is limited. Therefore, this study used positron emission tomography (PET) to investigate the association between tau pathology and DAT availability in elderly adults with depression. METHODS: Six patients diagnosed with depression according to ICD-10 criteria underwent PET scans with PET radioligands that enable accurate in vivo assessment, namely, florzolotau (18F) for tau and [18F]FE-PE2I for DAT. Clinical assessments using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) were performed for all patients. Tau standardized uptake value ratios (SUVR) in the striatal and cortical regions and DAT binding potentials (BPND) in the striatum were calculated. RESULTS: Tau SUVR in all regions was negatively correlated with DAT BPND in the striatum, suggesting that greater tau burden may be linked to dopaminergic dysfunction. Tau SUVR in the striatum was negatively correlated with MMSE, indicating that tau accumulation may be related to subtle cognitive decline. DAT BPND in the striatum was not correlated with HAM-D. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results suggest a link between tau pathology and dopaminergic dysfunction in elderly adults with depression.

DOI： 10.1272/jnms.JNMS.2026_93-308

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Language：Japanese   Publisher：(公社)日本精神神経学会  

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Schizophrenia develops during adolescence. Maternal infections during the fetal period increase the incidence of schizophrenia in children, which suggests that the pathogenesis involves neuroinflammation. Here, we report a case of new-onset schizophrenia in a 16-year-old boy after COVID-19. After developing COVID-19, he entered a catatonic state 4 days later and was hospitalized. Benzodiazepines alleviated his catatonia, but hallucinations and delusions persisted. Encephalitis and epilepsy were excluded by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), encephalography, and cerebrospinal fluid examination. Psychosis persisted after the virus titer declined and the inflammatory response subsided. Moreover, the patient exhibited delusions of control-a Schneider's first-rank symptom. Schizophrenia was diagnosed, and olanzapine improved his symptoms. He had a brief history of insomnia before COVID-19 but his symptoms did not satisfy the ultra-high-risk criteria. However, COVID-19 may have facilitated development of schizophrenia through neuroinflammation and volume reduction in the gray matter of the right medial temporal lobe. This case demonstrates that infectious diseases in adolescents should be carefully managed, to prevent schizophrenia.

DOI： 10.1272/jnms.JNMS.2025_92-301

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Language：Japanese   Publisher：(公社)日本精神神経学会  

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