Aromatase inhibition and electroconvulsive seizures in adolescent rats: antidepressant and long-term cognitive sex differences.

Adolescent ECS demonstrated an antidepressant-like potential together with certain long-term beneficial cognitive effects but exclusively in male rats. For females, efficacy was restricted to a situation in which the biosynthesis of estrogens was reduced. Therefore, estrogens and/or testosterone levels play a crucial role in the sex-disparities induced by ECS in Sprague-Dawley rats. Based on this study, and on the literature supporting its safety, ECS should be encouraged to use in cases of treatment-resistant depression during adolescence, while adhering to sex-specific considerations.