Abnormal neural activity in partially remitted late-onset depression: an fMRI study of one-back working memory task

Only half of the geriatric patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) can reach full remission after treatment of half a year. This study was designed to examine the neural responses in the partial responders of late-onset MDD. We used 3-Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess the patterns of cerebral activation/deactivation in the performance of a one-back version of the n-back working memory task. We recruited 14 major depressive patients who reached partial remission after at least half a year of pharmacological intervention, compared with 14 non-depressive controls. There were no significant between-group differences in the demographical profiles and working memory performance, which was true for both accuracy and reaction time. Brain masks encompassing the neural responses of activation/deactivation were constructed from the non-depressive controls. The depressive group shows enhanced activities at left middle frontal and left parietal regions, and reduced deactivation at several temporal regions and left amygdala within the masks. Besides, the depressive group activates extra neural nodes at middle frontal and middle temporal regions outside the masks. The neural responses in the left amygdala are significantly correlated with the severity of depression and comorbid anxiety. The loss of deactivation in the left amygdala and the temporal areas in cognitive endeavor may be related to the refractoriness to treatment.