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Reduced volume of orbitofrontal cortex in major depression
J Douglas Bremner1, Meena Vythilingam, Eric Vermetten
1Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia, USA.
Biological Psychiatry
|April 18, 2002
Summary
Major depression is linked to a smaller medial orbitofrontal cortex volume. This study found a 32% reduction in this brain region in depressed patients, suggesting structural changes in the brain associated with depression.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Functional neuroimaging implicates orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) dysfunction in depression.
- Postmortem studies reveal reduced neuronal and glial density in the OFC of depressed individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure the volume of the orbitofrontal cortex and other frontal cortical subregions in patients with major depression.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was employed to assess brain volumes.
- Study included patients with major depression in remission (n=15) and healthy comparison subjects (n=20).
Main Results:
- Patients with depression exhibited a statistically significant 32% reduction in medial orbitofrontal (gyrus rectus) cortical volume.
- No significant volume differences were observed in other frontal regions, including anterior cingulate (Brodmann's areas 24 and 32) or subcallosal gyrus (Brodmann's area 25).
- Whole brain volume did not differ significantly between groups, even after controlling for brain size.
Conclusions:
- The findings support the hypothesis of smaller orbitofrontal cortical volume in individuals with major depression.