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Fronto-limbic microstructure and structural connectivity in remission from major depression

Jennifer Fee Arnold1, Marcel P Zwiers, Daniel A Fitzgerald

  • 1Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. J.Arnold@donders.ru.nl

Psychiatry Research
|September 27, 2012
PubMed

Insights

This study found that even after remission, major depressive disorder (MDD) patients show altered brain structure in the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). These microstructural changes suggest lasting impacts on brain connectivity in MDD.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Major depressive disorder (MDD) is linked to amygdala and prefrontal cortex (PFC) abnormalities.
  • Microstructural changes in these regions in adult MDD remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate microstructural alterations and connectivity in the amygdala and medial PFC (mPFC) in medication-free, remitted MDD patients.

Main Methods:

  • Structural MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were used.
  • Seventeen middle-aged, remitted MDD patients and 21 controls were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Remitted MDD patients showed decreased mean diffusivity (MD) and increased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the left amygdala, indicating greater cell density and fiber organization.
  • Probabilistic tractography revealed increased left amygdala connectivity to the hippocampus, cerebellum, and brain stem.
  • Increased MD in the medial PFC (mPFC) suggested decreased cell density.

Conclusions:

  • Abnormal amygdala and mPFC microstructure and connectivity are implicated in MDD pathophysiology.
  • These findings may explain functional changes associated with major depressive disorder.

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