Electroconvulsive shock increases neurotrophy and neurogenesis: Time course and treatment session effects

•The antidepressant effect of ECT is related to neurogenetic changes in the brain.•Reviewing current states of knowledge regarding neurotrophy and neuro-proliferation responses following ECS in animal models can help to understand the antidepressant effect of ECT.•Repeated ECS is more effective than single ECS in increasing neurotrophic signaling.•ECS increases cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and the newly born cells following ECS can survive for at least 3 weeks.•The optimal number of ECT treatments and duration of stimulation require investigation in future research. Increasing evidence suggests that hippocampal neurotrophy may be related to the development of major depressive disorders. Neurogenesis, which can be regulated by neurotrophic factors, is also involved in antidepressant efficacy. This paper reviewed literature on neurotrophic signaling and cell proliferation after electroconvulsive shock (ECS) treatment. All articles were from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases between 2000 and 2020. The keywords used in the literature search are: “ECS,” “ECT,” “electroconvulsive seizure,” “electroconvulsive shock,” “electroconvulsive therapy,” “neurotrophic factor,” “nerve growth factor,” “neurotrophins,” “neurogenesis,” and “cell proliferation.” Eighty-two articles were included in the final analysis. It was shown that compared with acute ECS, repeated ECS increased neurotrophin expression in more brain regions at higher levels and was maintained for a longer time. Similarly, ECS increased cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The increase in cell proliferation was positively correlated with the amount of ECS administered and the newly born cells survived for a long time. The effects of ECS in inducing increases in neurotrophin levels and neurogenesis may contribute to brain function changes and antidepressant effects. Future research may focus on optimal sessions of ECT treatment to obtain the best therapeutic effect.