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Does the Framingham Stroke Risk Profile predict white-matter changes in late-life depression?
Charlotte L Allan1, Claire E Sexton, Ukwuori G Kalu
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. Charlotte.allan@psych.ox.ac.uk
International Psychogeriatrics
|November 18, 2011
Summary
Higher cardiovascular risk is linked to reduced white-matter integrity in depressed older adults. This study supports the vascular depression hypothesis, highlighting brain changes associated with stroke risk factors in depression.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Cardiovascular Health
- Geriatric Psychiatry
Background:
- Cardiovascular risk factors are significant contributors to depression, especially in older adults.
- Brain changes in vascular disease and depression are detectable via magnetic resonance imaging.
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can assess white-matter connectivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the Framingham Stroke Risk Profile (FSRP) and white-matter connectivity changes using DTI.
- To test the hypothesis that depressed individuals exhibit reduced white-matter integrity with higher FSRP.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-six depressed participants and 25 controls underwent DTI scans.
- Image analysis used FSL tools to correlate FSRP with fractional anisotropy (FA).
- Tract Based Spatial Statistics and partial correlation analysis were employed.
Main Results:
- Depressed participants showed significant negative correlations between FSRP and FA in the corpus callosum and cortico-spinal tract.
- Controls exhibited only one significant correlation in the body of the corpus callosum.
- Higher FSRP scores were associated with lower white-matter integrity in the depressed group.
Conclusions:
- The Framingham Stroke Risk Profile is associated with impaired white-matter integrity in depressed individuals.
- Findings support the vascular depression hypothesis.
- Vascular risk factors may impact brain structure in late-life depression.
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