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Published on: May 19, 2015
Altered regional brain activity moderating the relationship between childhood trauma and depression severity
Zhanjie Luo1, Weicheng Li1, Fan Zhang1
1The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province, Ministry of Education of China Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou, China.
Objective:
Childhood trauma (CT) is a major environmental risk factor for an adverse course and treatment outcome of major depressive disorder (MDD). Evidence suggests that an altered regional brain activity may play a crucial role in the relationship between CT and MDD. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between CT, regional brain activity, and depression severity.
Methods:
In this study, 96 patients with MDD and 82 healthy controls (HCs) participated. Regional brain activity was measured using the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo). These measures were compared between the MDD and HC groups, and the values of different brain regions were extracted as moderators.
Results:
Increased fALFF and ReHo values were observed in the left middle temporal gyrus in the MDD group compared with the HC group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the fALFF and ReHo values moderated the positive correlation between the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) score, 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) total score, and retardation factor score in the MDD group (all, p < 0.05). Finally, as the fALFF and ReHo values increased, the positive correlations between CTQ, HAMD-17 total, and retardation dimension scores became stronger.
Conclusion:
Our study highlighted the crucial role of altered brain function in connecting childhood maltreatment with depressive symptoms. Our findings indicate that an altered regional brain activity could explain the potential neurobiological mechanisms of MDD symptoms, offering the opportunity to function as a powerful diagnostic biomarker.
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