The functional neuroanatomy of depression: distinct roles for ventromedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex - PubMed (original) (raw)

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The functional neuroanatomy of depression: distinct roles for ventromedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

Michael Koenigs et al. Behav Brain Res. 2009.

Abstract

A primary aim in the neuroscientific study of depression is to identify the brain areas involved in the pathogenesis of symptoms. In this review, we describe evidence from studies employing various experimental approaches in humans (functional imaging, lesion method, and brain stimulation) that converge to implicate the ventromedial and dorsolateral sectors of prefrontal cortex as critical neural substrates for depression, albeit with distinct functional contributions. The putative roles of ventromedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in depression are discussed in light of the results.

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Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1

A. Depiction of vmPFC (in red) in midline views of each hemisphere. B. Depiction of dlPFC (in blue) in lateral views of each hemisphere.

Figure 2

Figure 2

Lesion overlaps of VHIS patients with bilateral vmPFC or dlPFC damage. Color indicates the number of overlapping lesions at each voxel. Top row: Axial slices of a normal healthy brain, for reference. Second row: Lesion overlap for the vmPFC lesion group. Third row: Lesion overlap for the dorsal PFC lesion group.

Figure 3

Figure 3

CT image (axial slices) of patient experiencing depression alleviation following suicide attempt. Ventral PFC is almost entirely destroyed, including vmPFC bilaterally (top row), whereas dorsal PFC is largely intact (bottom row).

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