Research
As a neuroscientist I am particularly interested in the neurobiological mechanisms of major depressive disorders and their treatment with various forms of neurostimulation therapies
Leif Oltedal is a consultant neuroradiologist (50%) at Haukeland University Hospital and associate professor (50%) at the Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen (UiB) in Norway. He is affiliated to the Mohn Medical Imanging and Visualization Centre (MMIV) .
I lead the Neurostimulation and Brain imaging research group at the Department of Clinical Medicine in Bergen and research projects on electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) at MMIV. I am also the leader of the Global ECT-MRI Research Collaboration (GEMRIC), which is a network of researchers who use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study the effects of ECT on the brain.
My research interests concern the structure and functioning of the human brain and spans from basic neuroscience disciplines such as anatomy and patch-clamp electrophysiology to clinical oriented research with neuroimaging in psychiatry and radiology. I am particularly interested in the mechanisms underlying mental disorders and how neurostimulation can be used as an effective therapeutic option. In radiology I am also involved in the development of novel MRI techniques for precision diagnostics or brain tumors (gliomas).
For an overview of recent publications, please see Google Scholar:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=L_sc0DQAAAAJ
Teaching
Neuroradiology
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Publications
Academic article
- Hirnstein, Marco ; Oltedal, Leif (2025). Transkraniell magnetisk stimulering – kommet for å bli. (external link)
- Ottarsdottir, Edda; Tveiten, Øystein Vesterli; Oltedal, Leif et al. (2024). Impact of subjective and objective language function and psychological distress on quality of life in glioma patients awaiting surgery. (external link)
- Kiebs, Maximilian; Farrar, Danielle C.; Yrondi, Antoine et al. (2024). Electroconvulsive therapy and cognitive performance from the Global ECT MRI Research Collaboration. (external link)
- Verdijk, Joey P. A. J.; van de Mortel, Laurens A.; ten Doesschate, Freek et al. (2024). Longitudinal resting-state network connectivity changes in electroconvulsive therapy patients compared to healthy controls. (external link)
- Hammar, Åsa Karin; Ronold, Eivind Haga; Spurkeland, Malene Alden et al. (2024). Improvement of persistent impairments in executive functions and attention following electroconvulsive therapy in a case control longitudinal follow up study. (external link)
- Skaga, Erlend; Trewin-Nybråten, Cassia Bree; Niehusmann, Pitt et al. (2024). Stable glioma incidence and increased patient survival over the past two decades in Norway: a nationwide registry-based cohort study. (external link)
- Laroy, Maarten; Bouckaert, Filip; Ousdal, Olga Therese et al. (2024). Characterization of gray matter volume changes from one week to 6 months after termination of electroconvulsive therapy in depressed patients. (external link)
- Argyelan, Miklos; Deng, Zhi-De; Ousdal, Olga Therese et al. (2023). Electroconvulsive therapy-induced volumetric brain changes converge on a common causal circuit in depression. (external link)
- Blanken, M.A.J.T.; Oudega, M.L.; Hoogendoorn, A.W. et al. (2023). Sex-specifics of ECT outcome. (external link)
- Bruin, Willem Benjamin; Oltedal, Leif; Bartsch, Hauke et al. (2023). Development and validation of a multimodal neuroimaging biomarker for electroconvulsive therapy outcome in depression: A multicenter machine learning analysis. (external link)
- ten Doesschate, Freek; Bruin, Willem; Zeidman, Peter et al. (2023). Effective resting-state connectivity in severe unipolar depression before and after electroconvulsive therapy. (external link)
- Schreiner, Jakob Emil; Kessler, Ute; Ødegaard, Ketil Joachim et al. (2023). Exploring New Electroencephalogram Parameters in Electroconvulsive Therapy. (external link)
- Hannisdal, Marianne Hjellvik; Goplen, Dorota; Alam, Saruar et al. (2023). Feasibility of deep learning-based tumor segmentation for target delineation and response assessment in grade-4 glioma using multi-parametric MRI. (external link)
- Erchinger, Vera Jane; Craven, Alexander R.; Ersland, Lars et al. (2023). Electroconvulsive therapy triggers a reversible decrease in brain N-acetylaspartate. (external link)
- Frid, Leila Marie; Kessler, Ute; Ousdal, Olga Therese et al. (2023). Neurobiological mechanisms of ECT and TMS treatment in depression: study protocol of a multimodal magnetic resonance investigation. (external link)
- van de Mortel, L.A.; Bruin, W.B.; Thomas, R.M. et al. (2022). Multimodal multi-center analysis of electroconvulsive therapy effects in depression: Brainwide gray matter increase without functional changes. (external link)
- Takamiya, Akihiro; Dols, Annemiek; Emsell, Louise et al. (2021). Neural Substrates of Psychotic Depression: Findings From the Global ECT-MRI Research Collaboration. (external link)
- Opel, Nils; Narr, Katherine L; Abbott, Christopher et al. (2021). Elevated body weight modulates subcortical volume change and associated clinical response following electroconvulsive therapy. (external link)
- Brancati, Giulio Emilio; Brekke, Njål; Bartsch, Hauke et al. (2021). Short and long-term effects of single and multiple sessions of electroconvulsive therapy on brain gray matter volumes. (external link)
- Wade, Benjamin; Hellemann, Gerhard S.; Espinoza, Randall et al. (2021). Accounting for symptom heterogeneity can improve neuroimaging models of antidepressant response after electroconvulsive therapy. (external link)
- Blomberg, Malin Ovat; Semkovska, Maria; Kessler, Ute et al. (2020). A Longitudinal Comparison Between Depressed Patients Receiving Electroconvulsive Therapy and Healthy Controls on Specific Memory Functions. (external link)
- Mulders, Peter C. R.; Llera, Alberto; Beckmann, Christian F. et al. (2020). Structural changes induced by electroconvulsive therapy are associated with clinical outcome. (external link)
- Erchinger, Vera Jane; Miller, Jeremy; Jones, Thomas et al. (2020). Anterior cingulate gamma-aminobutyric acid concentrations and electroconvulsive therapy. (external link)
- Rahman, Mohummad Aminur; Brekke, Jorunn; Arnesen, Victoria Smith et al. (2020). Sequential bortezomib and temozolomide treatment promotes immunological responses in glioblastoma patients with positive clinical outcomes: A phase 1B study. (external link)
- Karunamuni, Roshan A.; White, Nathan S.; Fromm, Annette et al. (2019). Improved characterization of cerebral infarction using combined tissue T2 and high b-value diffusion MRI in post-thrombectomy patients: a feasibility study. (external link)
- Ousdal, Olga Therese; Argyelan, Miklos; Narr, Katherine L. et al. (2019). Brain changes induced by electroconvulsive therapy are broadly distributed. (external link)
- Aarsland, Tore Ivar Malmei; Leskauskaite, Ieva; Midttun, Øivind et al. (2019). The effect of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on serum tryptophan metabolites. (external link)
- Argyelan, Miklos; Oltedal, Leif; Deng, Zhi-De et al. (2019). Electric field causes volumetric changes in the human brain. (external link)
- Wade, Benjamin; Hellemann, Gerhard; Espinoza, Randall et al. (2019). Depressive Symptom Dimensions in Treatment-Resistant Major Depression and Their Modulation With Electroconvulsive Therapy. (external link)
- Soda, Takahiro; McLoughlin, Declan M.; Clark, Scott R. et al. (2019). International Consortium on the Genetics of Electroconvulsive Therapy and Severe Depressive Disorders (Gen-ECT-ic). (external link)
- Oltedal, Leif; Narr, Katherine L.; Abbott, Christopher et al. (2018). Volume of the Human Hippocampus and Clinical Response Following Electroconvulsive Therapy. (external link)
- Sirnes, Eivind; Oltedal, Leif; Bartsch, Hauke et al. (2017). Brain morphology in school-aged children with prenatal opioid exposure: A structural MRI study. (external link)
- Oltedal, Leif; Bartsch, Hauke; Sørhaug, Ole Johan Evjenth et al. (2017). The Global ECT-MRI Research Collaboration (GEMRIC): Establishing a multi-site investigation of the neural mechanisms underlying response to electroconvulsive therapy. (external link)
- Oltedal, Leif; Hugdahl, Kenneth (2016). Opposite brain laterality in analogous auditory and visual tests. (external link)
- Oltedal, Leif; Kessler, Ute; Ersland, Lars et al. (2015). Effects of ECT in treatment of depression: Study protocol for a prospective neuroradiological study of acute and longitudinal effects on brain structure and function. (external link)
Academic literature review
- Romeo, Zaira; Biondi, Margherita; Oltedal, Leif et al. (2024). The Dark and Gloomy Brain: Grey Matter Volume Alterations in Major Depressive Disorder-Fine-Grained Meta-Analyses. (external link)
- Abe, Yoshifumi; Erchinger, Vera Jane; Ousdal, Olga Therese et al. (2024). Neurobiological mechanisms of electroconvulsive therapy for depression: Insights into hippocampal volumetric increases from clinical and preclinical studies. (external link)
- Erchinger, Vera Jane; Ersland, Lars; Aukland, Stein Magnus et al. (2021). Magnetic resonance spectroscopy in depressed subjects treated with electroconvulsive therapy—A systematic review of literature. (external link)
- Ousdal, Olga Therese; Brancati, Giulio E.; Kessler, Ute et al. (2021). The Neurobiological Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy Studied Through Magnetic Resonance: What Have We Learned, and Where Do We Go?. (external link)
- Scott, Jan; Hidalgo-Mazzei, Diego; Strawbridge, Rebecca et al. (2019). Prospective cohort study of early biosignatures of response to lithium in bipolar-I-disorders: overview of the H2020-funded R-LiNK initiative. (external link)
Article in business/trade/industry journal
Letter to the editor
Poster
- Wagner, Lucia; Nygaard, Gyrid; Kessler, Ute et al. (2021). ECT’s Effects on the Brain’s Motor Coordination. (external link)
- Smit, Noeska Natasja; Bruckner, Stefan; Hauser, Helwig et al. (2018). Research Agenda of the Mohn Medical Imaging and Visualization Centre in Bergen, Norway. (external link)
- Stautland, Andrea; Kessler, Ute; Oltedal, Leif et al. (2017). Lipidomics in Patients Receiving ECT. (external link)
- Berle, Jan Øystein; Berg, John Erik; Bjarke, Jill et al. (2015). Use of electroconvulsive therapy in postpartum affective disorder. A systematic review of the literature. (external link)
Academic lecture
See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.
Selected publications
Blanken MAJT, Oudega ML, Hoogendoorn AW, Sonnenberg CS, Rhebergen D, Klumpers UMH, Van Diermen L, Birkenhager T, Schrijvers D, Redlich R, Dannlowski U, Heindel W, Coenjaerts M, Nordanskog P, Oltedal L, Kessler U, Frid LM, Takamiya A, Kishimoto T, Jorgensen MB, Jorgensen A, Bolwig T, Emsell L, Sienaert P, Bouckaert F, Abbott CC, Péran P, Arbus C, Yrondi A, Kiebs M, Philipsen A, van Waarde JA, Prinsen E, van Verseveld M, Van Wingen G , ten Doesschate F, Camprodon JA ,Kritzer M, Barbour T, Argyelan M, Cardoner N, Urretavizcaya M, Soriano-Mas C, Narr KL, Espinoza RT, Prudic J, Rowny S, van Eijndhoven P, Tendolkar I, Dols A. (2023) Sex-specifics of ECT outcome. J. Affect. Disord.
van de Mortel LA, Bruin WB, Thomas RM, Abbott C, Argyelan M, van Eijndhoven P, Mulders P, Narr K, Tendolkar I, Verdijk JPAJ, van Waarde JA, Bartsch H, Oltedal L, van Wingen GA. Multimodal multi-center analysis of electroconvulsive therapy effects: brainwide gray matter increase without functional changes. (2022) Brain stimulation.
Takamiya A, Dols A, Emsell L, Abbott C, Yrondi A, Soriano Mas C, Jorgensen MB, Nordanskog P, Rhebergen D, van Exel E, Oudega ML, Bouckaert F, Vandenbulcke M, Sienaert P, Péran P, Cano M, Cardoner N, Jorgensen A, Paulson OB, Hamilton P, Kampe R, Bruin W, Bartsch H, Ousdal OT, Kessler U, van Wingen G, Oltedal L, Kishimoto T. (2022) Neural substrates of late-life psychotic depression: Findings from the Global ECT-MRI Research Collaboration. Schizophrenia Bulletin.
Brancati GE, Brekke N, Bartsch H, Evjenth Sørhaug OJ, Ousdal OT, Hammar Å, Schuster PM, Oedegaard KJ, Kessler U and Oltedal L (2021). Short and long-term effects of single and multiple sessions of electroconvulsive therapy on brain gray matter volumes. Brain stimulation.
Ousdal OT, Brancatei GE, Kessler U, Erchinger V, Dale AM, Abbott C & Oltedal L (2021). The neurobiological effects of electroconvulsive therapy studied through magnetic resonance – what have we learnt and where do we go? Biological Psychiatry.
Erchinger VJ, Ersland L, Aukland SA, Abbott CC and Oltedal L (2021). Magnetic resonance spectroscopy in depressed subjects treated with electroconvulsive therapy – a systematic review of literature. Frontiers in Psychiatry
Erchinger VJ, Miller J, Jones T, Kessler U, Bustillo J, Haavik J, Petrillo J, Ziomek G, Hammar Å, Oedegaard KJ, Calhoun VD, McClintock SM,Ersland L, Oltedal L, Abbott CC (2020). Anterior cingulate gamma-aminobutyric acid concentrations and electroconvulsive therapy. Brain and Behavior
Ousdal OT, Gjestad R and Oltedal L (2020). Reply to: Clinical Relevance of Brain Changes After Electroconvulsive Therapy: Is There Really No Link at All? Biol Psychiatry
Mulders PCR, Llera S, Beckmann CF, […] , Oltedal L, […] , Abbott CC, van Eijndhoven PFE and Tendolkar I. Structural changes induced by electroconvulsive therapy are associated with clinical outcome. (2020). Brain Stimulation
Argyelan M, Oltedal L, Deng ZD, Wade B [GEMRIC] & Abbott CC. Electrical field cause volumetric changes in the human brain. (2019). eLife
Ousdal OT, [GEMRIC] and Oltedal L. (2019). Brain changes induced by electroconvulsive therapy are broadly distributed. Biological Psychiatry
Malmei Aarsland TI, Leskauskaite I, Midttun Ø, Ulvik A, Ueland PM, Oltedal L, Erchinger VJ, Oedegaard KJ, Haavik J, Kessler U. (2019). The effect of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on serum tryptophan metabolites. Brain Stimulation
Karunamuni RA, White NS, Fromm A, Moen G, Grüner ER, Dale AM & Oltedal L. (2019). Improved characterization of cerebral infarction using combined tissue T2 and high b-value diffusion MRI in post-thrombectomy patients – a feasibility study. Acta Radiologica
Gewin V. & Oltedal L. (2018). Formalize agreements. Nature (Interview)
Oltedal L, Narr KL, Abbott C, Anand A, [GEMRIC], Vandenbulcke M, Oedegaard KJ, Dale AM. (2018). Volume of the human hippocampus and clinical response following electroconvulsive therapy. Biological Psychiatry
Oltedal L, Bartsch H, Sorhaug OJE, [...], Dale AM & Oedegaard KJ. (2017). The Global ECT-MRI Research Collaboration (GEMRIC): Establishing a multi-site investigation of the neural mechanisms underlying response to electroconvulsive therapy. Neuroimage: Clinical
Sirnes E, Oltedal L, Bartsch H, Eide GE, Elgen IB & Aukland SM. (2017). Brain morphology in school-aged children with prenatal opioid exposure: A structural MRI study. Early Hum Dev
Oltedal L & Hugdahl K. (2016). Opposite brain laterality in analogous auditory and visual tests. Laterality
Oltedal L, Kessler U, Ersland L, Grüner R, Andreassen OA, Haavik J, Hoff PI, Hammar Å, Dale AM, Hugdahl K and Oedegaard KJ. (2015). Effects of ECT in treatment of depression: Study protocol for a prospective neuroradiological study of acute and longitudinal effects on brain structure and function. BMC Psychiatry
Oltedal L & Hartveit E. (2010). Transient release kinetics of rod bipolar cells revealed by capacitance measurement of exocytosis from axon terminals in rat retinal slices. J Physiol
Veruki ML, Oltedal L & Hartveit E. (2010). Electrical coupling and passive membrane properties of AII amacrine cells. J Neurophysiol
Oltedal L, Veruki ML & Hartveit E. (2009). Passive membrane properties and electrotonic signal processing in retinal rod bipolar cells. J Physiol
Veruki ML, Oltedal L & Hartveit E. (2008). Electrical synapses between AII amacrine cells: dynamic range and functional consequences of variation in junctional conductance. J Neurophysiol
Oltedal L, Haglerød C, Furmanek T & Davanger S. (2008). Vesicular release of glutamate from hippocampal neurons in culture: An immunocytochemical assay. Exp Brain Res
Oltedal L, Mørkve SH, Veruki ML & Hartveit E. (2007). Patch-clamp investigations and compartmental modeling of rod bipolar axon terminals in an in vitro thin-slice preparation of the mammalian retina. J Neurophysiol
Hasegawa H, Yang Z, Oltedal L, Davanger S & Hay JC. (2004). Intramolecular protein-protein and protein-lipid interactions control the conformation and subcellular targeting of neuronal Ykt6. J Cell Sci
Vik-Mo EO, Oltedal L, Hoivik EA, Kleivdal H, Eidet J & Davanger S. (2003). Sec6 is localized to the plasma membrane of mature synaptic terminals and is transported with secretogranin II-containing vesicles. Neuroscience
For complete publications list, see below
Projects
I lead the Neurostimulation and brain imaging research group and the following ongoing studies
1) The Global ECT-MRI Research Collaboration (GEMRIC)
- The GEMRIC was established in 2015 and defined as a Global network for determining the mechanisms of action of Electroconvulsive Therapy using Magnetic Resonance Imaging through Collaboration. The collaboration is coordinated by Dr. Leif Oltedal, and the common data repository is located at the University of Bergen.
2) ECT and Neuroradiology (ECTMRI)
- Electroconvulsive therapy, acute and longitudinal effects https://mmiv.no/ect/. Studied by MRI (Structural, diffusion (RSI), MR spectroscopy (including Glutamate and GABA)); Neuropsychological tests and blood samples. See protocol paper here. Web page in Norwegian here.
3) Neurobiological mechanism of ECT and rTMS treatment (FundECT). An observational study which includes patients with moderate and severe depression who receive electroconvulsive therapy or repetetive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation at Haukeland Univeristy Hospital.
In addition to the above projects I am involed in a number of ongoing studies in Neuroradiology and Psychiatry.
Previous projects
RSI in neuroradiological imaging
- Restriction Spectrum Imaging (RSI) to characterize diffusion signal in cerebral infarction. Restricted versus hindered diffusion.