Magnetic-resonance morphometry in patients with major depression

Abstract

Magnetic-resonance morphometry performed on 72 patients with major depression compared with 38 control subjects replicated previously reported, statistically significant reductions in the volumes of the caudate ( P<0.03) and putamen ( P<0.05) in depressed patients. Borderline statistical significance was observed for whole-brain ( P<0.07) and frontal volume ( P<0.10) in a subsample of 32 patients matched on age and sex with 32 control subjects, whereas statistical significance was observed for the full sample ( P<0.007 and P<0.03, respectively). Chronological age was related to volume of the frontal lobes ( P<0.0002), caudate ( P<0.0001), putamen ( P<0.008), thalamus ( P<0.002), cerebellum ( P<0.007), lateral ventricles ( P<0.0001), and ratios of [whole brain]/[whole brain+cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)] ( P<0.0001) and [frontal]/[frontal+CSF] ( P<0.0001). Age of first depressive episode was related to putamen volume after accounting for chronological age ( R 2=0.16, P<0.005), and a correlation of 0.26 ( P<0.04) was observed between caudate volume and global mental status. Results are in accord with previous reports of basal-ganglia abnormalities in depressed patients and support the role of subcortical structures in mediating affective disorder.