Frontal white matter anisotropy and symptom severity of late-life depression: a magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging study - PubMed (original) (raw)

Frontal white matter anisotropy and symptom severity of late-life depression: a magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging study

K Nobuhara et al. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2006 Jan.

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the disruption of neural circuits in the frontal lobes and limbic structures in late-life depressed patients compared with healthy controls, and to examine the correlation between the degree of microstructural abnormalities of white matter and clinical symptom severity in late-life depression.

Methods: Thirteen patients with late-life depression and matched control subjects underwent diffusion tensor imaging. Fractional anisotropy (FA), an index of the integrity of white matter tracts, was determined in the white matter of frontal, temporal, and occipital brain regions and the corpus callosum.

Results: A significant reduction was found in white matter FA values of widespread regions of the frontal and temporal lobes of depressed patients. Also, there was some evidence suggesting that white matter FA values of the inferior frontal brain region are inversely related to severity of depression.

Conclusions: These results suggest the possible loss of integrity within frontal and temporal white matter fibre tracts and implicate the orbitofrontal circuit in symptom severity in late-life depression.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: none declared

Figures

None

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Lesser I M, Boone K B, Mehringer C M.et al Cognition and white matter hyperintensities in older depressed patients. Am J Psychiatry 19961531280–1287. - PubMed
    1. Massman P J, Delis D C, Butters N.et al The subcortical dysfunction hypothesis of memory deficits in depression: neuropsychological validation in a subgroup of patients. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 199214687–706. - PubMed
    1. Kumar A, Bilker W, Jin Z.et al Atrophy and high intensity lesions: complementary neurobiological mechanisms in late‐life major depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 200022264–274. - PubMed
    1. Lloyd A J, Ferrier I N, Barber R.et al Hippocampal volume change in depression: late‐ and early‐onset illness compared. Br J Psychiatry 2004184488–495. - PubMed
    1. Thomas A J, O'Brien J T, Davis S.et al Ischemic basis for deep white matter hyperintensities in major depression: a neuropathological study. Arch Gen Psychiatry 200259785–792. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources