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Frontal Dysfunction Underlies Depression in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A FDG-PET Study

Hye Sook Lee1, Il Han Choo, Dong Young Lee

  • 1Department of Neuropsychiatry, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

Psychiatry Investigation
|October 8, 2010
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Depression in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is linked to reduced glucose metabolism in the right superior frontal gyrus. This finding suggests frontal lobe dysfunction contributes to depression in both preclinical and clinical Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Gerontology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Depression is prevalent in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  • MCI with depression has a higher conversion rate to AD.
  • The neuroanatomical basis of depression in MCI requires elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the functional neuroanatomical differences in depression among individuals with MCI.
  • To identify the brain regions affected by depression in MCI patients.

Main Methods:

  • Compared regional cerebral glucose metabolism using Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET) in three groups: MCI with depression (MCI_D), MCI without depression (MCI_ND), and cognitively normal (CN) elderly individuals.
  • Utilized a voxel-based method for statistical comparison of glucose metabolism.
  • Correlated depression severity (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression - HRSD) with glucose metabolism.

Main Results:

  • MCI_D patients exhibited lower glucose metabolism in the right superior frontal gyrus compared to MCI_ND patients.
  • A negative correlation was found between HRSD scores and glucose metabolism in the frontal region for all MCI subjects.
  • Both MCI_D and MCI_ND showed reduced metabolism in the precuneus compared to CN individuals; MCI_D also displayed reduced metabolism in other diffuse brain areas.

Conclusions:

  • Functional disruption of the frontal region is associated with depression in MCI.
  • These findings suggest that frontal lobe dysfunction underlies depression in both preclinical and clinically evident Alzheimer's disease.
Keywords:
DepressionFluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission TomographyFrontalMild cognitive impairment

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