The Task-Based fMRI Using von Zerssen Scale in Recurrent Depression Disorder: A Replication Study

Currently, translation into clinical practice of scientific knowledge on pathological reorganization of brain mechanisms in psychiatric disorders, as suggested by functional neuroimaging data, remains limited. This situation calls for the exploration of new approaches, which were recently proposed for the combined use of the simultaneous application of psychodiagnostic testing and fMRI scanning. Consequently, a self-rated psychodiagnostic scale was used as an experimental task during fMRI scanning for patients with major depressive disorder. Given the promising neuroimaging results obtained in these studies, in current research, our objective was to replicate these results and conduct an fMRI study using statements from the von Zerssen depression as experimental conditions. Eighteen patients with recurrent depressive disorder and healthy volunteers participated in the study to replicate the group size of previous research. The results obtained showed that patients with recurrent depressive disorder exhibited greater activity in the right precuneus and bilateral supramarginal gyrus than healthy controls while responding to diagnostically specific (DS) statements compared to diagnostically neutral (DN) ones. These findings replicate the main results of the original study and emphasize the potential of this approach in the field of translational psychiatry. In addition, they contribute to understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms of depression through the use of this unique fMRI paradigm.