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White-matter integrity predicts stroop performance in patients with geriatric depression
Christopher F Murphy1, Faith M Gunning-Dixon, Matthew J Hoptman
1Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Neill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry, White Plains, New York 10605, USA. cfm2001@med.cornell.edu
Biological Psychiatry
|November 25, 2006
Summary
Microstructural white matter abnormalities in frontostriatal-limbic tracts are linked to poor response inhibition in depressed elders. This suggests white matter integrity is crucial for executive function in late-life depression.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Geriatric Psychiatry
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Late-life depression is associated with cognitive deficits, particularly executive dysfunction.
- Frontostriatal-limbic pathways are implicated in both mood regulation and executive functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between white matter microstructural integrity and response inhibition in elders with major depression.
- To determine if abnormalities in frontostriatal-limbic tracts correlate with impaired performance on the Stroop task.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to measure fractional anisotropy (FA) in white matter regions.
- Fifty-one elders with major depression underwent DTI and completed the Stroop task.
- Voxelwise correlational analysis examined the relationship between FA and Stroop performance.
Main Results:
- Significant negative associations were found between FA and Stroop color-word interference.
- These associations were observed in multiple frontostriatal-limbic regions, including white matter near the anterior/posterior cingulate cortex, prefrontal, insular, and parahippocampal areas.
Conclusions:
- Microstructural white matter abnormalities in frontostriatal-limbic networks are associated with executive dysfunction in late-life depression.
- These findings highlight the role of white matter integrity in the pathophysiology of geriatric depression and support further investigation of specific pathways.
