Aberrant degree centrality of functional brain networks in subclinical depression and major depressive disorder
Lei Yang1, Chaoyang Jin1, Shouliang Qi1,2
1College of Medicine and Biological Information Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China.
Background:
As one of the most common diseases, major depressive disorder (MDD) has a significant adverse impact on the li of patients. As a mild form of depression, subclinical depression (SD) serves as an indicator of progression to MDD. This study analyzed the degree centrality (DC) for MDD, SD, and healthy control (HC) groups and identified the brain regions with DC alterations.
Methods:
The experimental data were composed of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) from 40 HCs, 40 MDD subjects, and 34 SD subjects. After conducting a one-way analysis of variance, two-sample t-tests were used for further analysis to explore the brain regions with changed DC. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of single index and composite index features was performed to analyze the distinguishable ability of important brain regions.
Results:
For the comparison of MDD vs. HC, increased DC was found in the right superior temporal gyrus (STG) and right inferior parietal lobule (IPL) in the MDD group. For SD vs. HC, the SD group showed a higher DC in the right STG and the right middle temporal gyrus (MTG), and a smaller DC in the left IPL. For MDD vs. SD, increased DC in the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG), right IPL, and left IPL, and decreased DC in the right STG and right MTG was found in the MDD group. With an area under the ROC (AUC) of 0.779, the right STG could differentiate MDD patients from HCs and, with an AUC of 0.704, the right MTG could differentiate MDD patients from SD patients. The three composite indexes had good discriminative ability in each pairwise comparison, with AUCs of 0.803, 0.751, and 0.814 for MDD vs. HC, SD vs. HC, and MDD vs. SD, respectively.
Conclusion:
Altered DC in the STG, MTG, IPL, and MFG were identified in depression groups. The DC values of these altered regions and their combinations presented good discriminative ability between HC, SD, and MDD. These findings could help to find effective biomarkers and reveal the potential mechanisms of depression.
Insights
This study found altered brain activity patterns in individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) and subclinical depression (SD). Specific brain regions showed distinct degree centrality (DC) changes, offering potential biomarkers for depression.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and debilitating illness.
- Subclinical Depression (SD) is a milder form that can precede MDD.
- Understanding brain alterations in depression is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate alterations in degree centrality (DC) in brain regions of individuals with MDD and SD compared to healthy controls (HC).
- To identify specific brain regions with significant DC changes associated with depression.
- To evaluate the diagnostic potential of these brain regions as biomarkers.
Main Methods:
- Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data were collected from 40 HC, 40 MDD, and 34 SD subjects.
- One-way ANOVA and two-sample t-tests were employed to analyze differences in DC.
- Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the discriminative ability of identified brain regions.
Main Results:
- MDD group showed increased DC in the right superior temporal gyrus (STG) and right inferior parietal lobule (IPL) compared to HC.
- SD group exhibited higher DC in the right STG and right middle temporal gyrus (MTG), and lower DC in the left IPL versus HC.
- MDD group displayed increased DC in the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG), right IPL, and left IPL, and decreased DC in the right STG and right MTG compared to SD.
- The right STG and right MTG showed good discriminative ability between groups (AUCs 0.779 and 0.704, respectively).
- Composite indices of altered regions demonstrated strong discriminative power (AUCs ranging from 0.751 to 0.814).
Conclusions:
- Altered DC in the STG, MTG, IPL, and MFG are characteristic of depression.
- These brain regions and their combinations show promise as effective biomarkers for differentiating between HC, SD, and MDD.
- Findings contribute to understanding the neural mechanisms underlying depression and may aid in developing diagnostic tools.
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