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Thalamocortical connectivity in major depressive disorder
Elliot C Brown1, Darren L Clark1, Stefanie Hassel2
1Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Journal of Affective Disorders
|April 14, 2017
Summary
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) patients show increased thalamocortical connectivity, particularly between the medial thalamus and temporal/somatosensory areas. This abnormal brain connectivity may be a transdiagnostic marker for psychiatric disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a prevalent psychiatric condition associated with widespread brain activity abnormalities.
- Thalamocortical networks are implicated in psychopathology but require further investigation in MDD.
- This study investigates functional connectivity within thalamocortical networks in MDD patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine functional connectivity between major cortical regions and the thalamus in individuals with Major Depressive Disorder.
- To identify potential neural markers for MDD by analyzing thalamocortical network alterations.
- To explore the relationship between aberrant thalamocortical connectivity and symptom severity in MDD.
Main Methods:
- Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired from 54 MDD patients and 40 healthy controls.
- The cortex was segmented into six regions of interest (ROIs), and BOLD signal time courses were extracted.
- Functional connectivity was assessed by correlating ROI time courses with thalamic voxels, controlling for other cortical signals.
Main Results:
- MDD patients exhibited significantly increased functional connectivity between the medial thalamus and temporal cortical areas.
- Increased connectivity was also observed between the medial thalamus and somatosensory cortical regions in MDD patients.
- A positive correlation was found between the degree of thalamo-temporal connectivity and the severity of depressive symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Abnormal connectivity in thalamo-temporal and thalamo-somatosensory regions may reflect impaired cortico-thalamo-cortical modulation in MDD.
- These connectivity alterations are linked to emotional and sensory disturbances characteristic of MDD.
- Thalamocortical dysconnectivity could serve as a potential transdiagnostic marker across various psychiatric disorders.