Asymmetry in cortical thickness and subcortical volume in treatment-naïve major depressive disorder.

Zhiwei Zuo,Wei Qu,Shuhua Ran,Haitao Li,Qi Han,Qianying Tang,Chang Li,Yao Wang

doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2018.101614

Zhiwei Zuo, Wei Qu + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2018.101614

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Abstract

BackgroundNumerous cognitive and emotional functions are executed asymmetrically between the left and right hemispheres. Right hemisphere hyperactivity/left hemisphere hypoactivity often appears to be a feature in neuroimaging studies of depression. However, few studies have evaluated abnormalities in structural asymmetry in untreated patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).MethodsIn this study, 3-dimensional high-resolution structural magnetic resonance images were acquired from 35 treatment-naïve patients with MDD (mean age = 28.9 years, 22 females) and 35 normal controls. The asymmetry index in cortical thickness and subcortical volume were calculated based on an automated surface-based technique.ResultsAbnormalities in structural asymmetry in patients with MDD were mainly located in the cortical-striatal-pallidal-thalamic circuit, including the superior frontal cortex, rostral middle frontal cortex, caudal middle frontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, pallidum and thalamus. No significant correlation was observed between symptom severity and asymmetric measurements.ConclusionThese findings provide further evidence for the altered morphological interhemispheric imbalances in depression and these alterations were independent of depressive symptom severity, suggesting that cerebral asymmetry could be an appropriate indicator of morphological variations in mental disease.

Highlights

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a psychiatric disease that seriously impairs patients' physical and mental health
No significant differences in the hemispheric asymmetry of cortical thickness, or subcortical volume were observed between the major depressive disorder (MDD) and normal controls (NC) groups
According to the general linear model (GLM) analysis, dispersed changes in the asymmetry index (AI) of cortical thickness were found in the MDD group (Fig. 1A)

Summary

Introduction

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a psychiatric disease that seriously impairs patients' physical and mental health. Volumetric changes in gray matter in patients with MDD have been researched extensively in previous anatomical studies (Andreescu et al, 2008; Zhang et al, 2016; Bora et al, 2012) and are thought to be located in cortical-limbic areas including the anterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala, thalamus and putamen (Andreescu et al, 2008; Pizzagalli, 2011; Bora et al, 2012) Abnormalities in these regions impair various cognitive and emotional functions, such as attention, performance monitoring, self-evaluation, and behavioral adjustment (Pizzagalli, 2011; Reynolds et al, 2014). Conclusion: These findings provide further evidence for the altered morphological interhemispheric imbalances in depression and these alterations were independent of depressive symptom severity, suggesting that cerebral asymmetry could be an appropriate indicator of morphological variations in mental disease

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