Abnormal Structure-Function Coupling in Major Depressive Disorder Patients With and Without Anhedonia

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by anhedonia, a core symptom.
• Previous studies suggest distinct brain alterations in MDD with anhedonia, but synchronized structure-function changes remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate synchronized alterations in brain structure and function in MDD patients with and without anhedonia.
• To identify potential neuroimaging biomarkers for MDD with anhedonia.

Main Methods:

• Structural and resting-state functional MRI scans were acquired from 92 participants (29 MDD with anhedonia, 33 MDD without anhedonia, 30 healthy controls).
• Structure-function coupling was quantified using gray matter volume (GMV) and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFFs).
• Statistical analyses included ANCOVA, partial correlation, ROC curve, and SVM analysis.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in structure-function coupling were found in the precentral gyrus, insular gyrus, cingulate gyrus, thalamus, and temporal gyri among the groups.
• MDD patients generally showed altered coupling compared to controls.
• MDD with anhedonia exhibited unique coupling alterations in the thalamus and temporal gyri compared to MDD without anhedonia.

Conclusions:

• Altered structure-function synchrony in frontal, temporal lobes, and thalamus is implicated in MDD anhedonia.
• These altered coupling patterns may represent novel neuroimaging biomarkers for differentiating MDD with anhedonia.