Depression following traumatic brain injury: A functional connectivity perspective
Laura Moreno-López1, Barbara J Sahakian2, Anne Manktelow1
1a Division of Anaesthesia , University of Cambridge , Cambridge , UK.
Brain Injury
|July 29, 2016
Summary
Depression after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is linked to changes in brain networks. Specifically, altered connectivity in the insula, thalamus, and subgenual ACC may underlie TBI-related depression.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Brain Injury Research
Background:
- Depression is a common outcome for traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors.
- Previous research has not explored the link between depression and functional network integrity post-TBI.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between depressive symptom severity and resting-state functional network integrity in TBI patients.
- To compare network integrity in TBI survivors with depression to healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Examined global functional connectivity and characterized differences in network integrity.
- Assessed depressive symptoms in TBI patients and healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Depressive symptoms in TBI patients correlated with neuroadaptations in the insula, thalamus, and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (ACC).
- TBI patients showed increased insula connectivity and decreased thalamus-to-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex connectivity.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest that altered functional connectivity in emotional regulation networks contributes to depression following TBI.
- Other adjustment issues may also play a role in TBI-related depression.
