Linking depressive symptom dimensions to cerebellar subregion volumes in later life

Hannah R Bogoian,Jessica A Turner,Eric S Semmel,Tricia Z King,Vonetta M Dotson

doi:10.1038/s41398-020-00883-6

Hannah R Bogoian, Jessica A Turner + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-020-00883-6

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Journal: Translational Psychiatry	Publication Date: Jun 19, 2020
Citations: 19	License type: open-access

Affiliation: Georgia State University

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between subthreshold depressive symptoms and gray matter volume in subregions of the posterior cerebellum. Structural magnetic resonance imaging data from 38 adults aged 51 to 80 years were analyzed along with participants’ responses to the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Subscale scores for depressed mood, somatic symptoms, and lack of positive affect were calculated, and multiple regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between symptom dimensions and cerebellar volumes. Greater total depressive symptoms and greater somatic symptoms of depression were significantly related to larger volumes of vermis VI, a region within the salience network, which is altered in depression. Exploratory analyses revealed that higher scores on the lack of positive affect subscale were related to larger vermis VIII volumes. These results support that depressive symptom profiles have unique relationships within the cerebellum that may be important as the field move towards targeted treatment approaches for depression.

Highlights

There is an increasing movement towards a spectrumbased view of psychopathology, reflected in the National Institute of Mental Health’s Research Domain Criteria[1]
While not meeting criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD), increasing severity of subthreshold depressive symptoms (SDS) is associated with brain abnormalities among older adults such as smaller right parahippocampal volumes[7], increased cortical thickness in the isthmus cingulate and middle frontal gyrus[8], and gray matter volume reductions in the frontal and temporal lobes[9,10,11]
Higher total Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scores were associated with larger vermis VI (Fig. 1) volume (β = 0.378, p < 0.05, sr32 = 0.139), but no significant relationship was observed between vermis VII (Fig. 2) volume and total CES-D

Summary

Introduction

There is an increasing movement towards a spectrumbased view of psychopathology, reflected in the National Institute of Mental Health’s Research Domain Criteria[1]. Within this framework, mild, subthreshold depressive symptoms (SDS) are important to examine given that they represent a less severe form of depression that is still associated with negative outcomes, especially among older adults[2,3]. While not meeting criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD), increasing severity of SDS is associated with brain abnormalities among older adults such as smaller right parahippocampal volumes[7], increased cortical thickness in the isthmus cingulate and middle frontal gyrus[8], and gray matter volume reductions in the frontal and temporal lobes[9,10,11]. Habas et al.[19] provided evidence that distinct regions of the cerebellum participate in two major networks involved in depression—the default mode (lobule IX) and salience networks

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion