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Cellular changes in the postmortem hippocampus in major depression.

Craig A Stockmeier1, Gouri J Mahajan, Lisa C Konick

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior (Box 127), University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216, USA. cstockmeier@psychiatry.umsmed.edu

Biological Psychiatry
|November 4, 2004
PubMed
Summary
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Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with increased neuron and glia density and decreased neuron size in the hippocampus. These cellular changes may explain the reduced hippocampal volume observed in MDD patients.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cellular Biology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Neuroimaging studies indicate reduced hippocampal volume in major depressive disorder (MDD).
  • The cellular underpinnings of this hippocampal volume reduction in MDD remain unidentified.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the cellular basis for decreased hippocampal volume in major depressive disorder (MDD).
  • To compare neuronal and glial cell density and size in the hippocampus between MDD subjects and controls.

Main Methods:

  • Hippocampal tissue sections were obtained from 19 MDD subjects and 21 healthy controls.
  • Systematic, random sampling and optical disector methods were used to quantify cell density and neuronal soma size.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Hippocampal sections from MDD subjects showed significantly greater shrinkage (18%) compared to controls.
  • Increased density (30-35%) of granule cells, pyramidal neurons, and glia was observed in all hippocampal subfields in MDD.
  • Pyramidal neuron soma size was significantly reduced in MDD subjects.

Conclusions:

  • MDD is characterized by increased cellular packing density and decreased neuronal size in the hippocampus.
  • Reduced neuropil and altered water content may contribute to the decreased hippocampal volume in MDD.
  • These cellular alterations provide a potential explanation for neuroimaging findings in MDD.