Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 27, 2026

Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity
10:43

Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity

Published on: July 1, 2014

14.1K

White matter abnormalities: Insights into the pathophysiology of major affective disorders

Gianluca Serafini1, Xenia Gonda1, Zoltan Rihmer1

  • 1Gianluca Serafini, Paolo Girardi, Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy.

World Journal of Radiology
|July 1, 2014
PubMed

Insights

White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) in major affective disorders may indicate higher suicidal risk. The severity of these brain changes could serve as a neurobiological marker for disease vulnerability and clinical presentation.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Neuroimaging

Background:

  • White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are linked to poor outcomes in major affective disorders.
  • Confounding factors like medication and illness duration complicate WMH interpretation.
  • Existing literature on WMHs in affective disorders presents conflicting findings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between WMHs and suicidal risk in major affective disorders.
  • To explore the potential of WMH severity as a trait marker for these disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the modified Fazekas scale to assess WMH severity.
  • Compared suicidal risk in subjects with and without WMHs.

Main Results:

  • Subjects with WMHs showed a higher risk of suicide compared to those without.
  • WMH severity, assessed by the Fazekas scale, may act as a disease trait marker.

Conclusions:

  • WMHs may represent a neurobiological marker in major affective disorders.
  • WMH presence and severity are associated with increased suicidal risk.
  • WMHs could bridge underlying vulnerability and clinical manifestations.
Keywords:
Major affective disordersNeuroimagingOutcomeSuicidal behaviourWhite matter hyperintensities

More Related Videos

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression08:42

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression

Published on: May 19, 2015

9.6K
Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study07:30

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study

Published on: August 18, 2020

8.4K

Related Concept Videos

Depression: Overview01:18

Depression: Overview

Depression is a prevalent mental illness marked by persistent sadness and lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities. It can take several forms, including major depression, persistent depressive disorder, and bipolar I and II disorders. Symptoms range from emotional changes like chronic worry to physical changes like sleep disturbances and suicidal thoughts. From a neurobiological perspective, depression is believed to be triggered by abnormalities in the brain's prefrontal cortex,...
1.2K
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology01:23

Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology

Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and...
32
Depressive Disorders: Etiology01:27

Depressive Disorders: Etiology

Depressive disorders result from a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors, each contributing uniquely to the development and persistence of the condition. Understanding these factors provides critical insight into the multifaceted nature of depression.
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
880
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders01:27

Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose origins are rooted in complex genetic components. Despite our burgeoning understanding, the pathophysiology of this disorder remains incompletely deciphered.
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within...
2.5K
Long-term Depression01:03

Long-term Depression

Long-term depression, or LTD, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTD is the process of synaptic weakening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic weakening of LTD works in opposition to synaptic strengthening by long-term potentiation (LTP) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over...
2.6K
Long-term Depression01:05

Long-term Depression

Long-term depression, or LTD, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTD is the process of synaptic weakening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic weakening of LTD works in opposition to synaptic strengthening by long-term potentiation (LTP) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
27.2K