Examining brain structural-functional coupling in major depressive disorder across episode status
Zhiyuan Chen1, Xiongyu Li1, Ruiyang Wang1
1Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China.
Journal of Affective Disorders
|October 11, 2025
Summary
Major depressive disorder (MDD) shows increased structural-functional connectivity (SC-FC) coupling, particularly in the somatomotor and default mode networks. Recurrent MDD exhibits specific SC-FC alterations in the right superior temporal gyrus, potentially indicating recurrence markers.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a chronic, relapsing mental health condition.
- Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of MDD is crucial for effective treatment and management.
- Investigating structural-functional connectivity (SC-FC) coupling offers insights into brain network alterations in MDD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate alterations in SC-FC coupling in patients with MDD compared to healthy controls.
- To explore the association between SC-FC coupling abnormalities and clinical profiles, including symptom severity and episode status.
- To differentiate SC-FC coupling patterns between first-episode MDD and recurrent MDD subgroups.
Main Methods:
- Utilized diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data.
- Analyzed SC-FC coupling in 124 MDD patients and 97 healthy controls (HCs).
- Compared SC-FC coupling between MDD and HCs, correlated findings with symptom severity, and analyzed subgroups: first-episode MDD (fMDD) and recurrent MDD (rMDD).
Main Results:
- MDD patients exhibited increased SC-FC coupling in regions including the left orbital gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus (rSTG), bilateral inferior parietal lobule, bilateral postcentral gyrus, and left insula.
- These alterations were primarily located within the default mode network (DMN), somatomotor network (SMN), frontoparietal network (FPN), and dorsal lateral attention network (DAN).
- Increased SC-FC coupling in the left orbital gyrus correlated with higher depressive and anxiety symptom severity. Recurrent MDD showed specific increased SC-FC coupling in the rSTG.
Conclusions:
- MDD is characterized by generally increased SC-FC coupling, predominantly involving the SMN and DMN.
- A distinct SC-FC coupling pattern in the rSTG was observed in MDD patients based on episode status.
- These findings contribute to understanding MDD's neuropathology and may identify biomarkers for predicting recurrence.
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