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Subgenual cingulate connectivity in children with a history of preschool-depression

Michael S Gaffrey1, Joan L Luby, Grega Repovš

  • 1Departments of Psychiatry, Washington University, St Louis, Missouri, USA. gaffreym@wustl.edu

Neuroreport
|November 5, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Children with a history of early depression show altered brain connectivity in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC). These atypical connections, evident in school-aged children, link to emotional behavior and suggest early depressive episodes impact brain development.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Altered functional connectivity of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) is observed in adults with depression.
  • The developmental trajectory of these brain alterations in children is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the functional connectivity of the sgACC in school-aged children with and without a history of preschool onset major depressive disorder (PO-MDD).
  • To explore the relationship between sgACC connectivity and emotional behavior in this pediatric population.

Main Methods:

  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine sgACC functional connectivity.
  • Participants included 36 school-aged children, with 17 having a history of PO-MDD.

Main Results:

  • Healthy children showed increased sgACC connections with cognitive control regions.
  • Children with PO-MDD history exhibited increased sgACC connections with thalamic and parietal regions.
  • A correlation was found between emotional dysregulation and sgACC/dorsal medial prefrontal cortex connectivity.

Conclusions:

  • Atypical sgACC functional connectivity is present in school-aged children with a history of PO-MDD.
  • These findings suggest early depression episodes can impact brain development and connectivity.
  • The study highlights the importance of early detection and intervention for pediatric depression.

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