Vulnerable brain regions in adolescent major depressive disorder: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis

Hui Ding ¹, Qin Zhang ^1,2, Yan-Ping Shu ³

⁰Department of Radiology, The Second People's Hospital of Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550000, Guizhou Province, China.

World Journal of Psychiatry +

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April 15, 2024

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

Adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) is linked to reduced activity in the right cuneus and left precuneus. This meta-analysis highlights these brain regions as vulnerable in young people with MDD.

Area Of Science

Neuroscience
Psychiatry
Medical Imaging

Background

Adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) is a significant mental health issue with long-term implications.
Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) is crucial for understanding the neural underpinnings of MDD.
Previous research has not fully identified specific vulnerable brain regions in adolescent MDD.

Purpose Of The Study

To pinpoint consistent vulnerable brain regions in adolescent MDD patients.
To utilize rs-fMRI and activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis for identifying neural correlates.
To enhance the understanding of the neuropathology of adolescent depression.

Main Methods

A systematic literature search was conducted up to July 12, 2023.
Included studies analyzed brain functional changes in adolescent MDD using regional homogeneity (ReHo) and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF/fALFF).
ALE meta-analysis compared spontaneous neural activity between MDD adolescents and healthy controls (HCs).

Main Results

Ten studies involving 369 MDD patients and 313 HCs were analyzed.
A meta-analysis combining ReHo and ALFF/fALFF data revealed decreased activity in the right cuneus and left precuneus in adolescent MDD patients compared to HCs.
No brain regions showed increased activity in adolescent MDD patients.

Conclusions

The right cuneus and left precuneus are consistently identified as vulnerable brain regions in adolescent MDD.
This finding advances the understanding of the neuropathological basis of depression in adolescents.
ALE meta-analysis provides robust evidence for these affected brain areas.

Keywords:

Activation likelihood estimation Adolescent Major depressive disorder Meta-analysis Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging

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