The brain inhibitory function in unipolar depression revealed by the magnetic source imaging

Abstract

Objective To investigate the variation of brain inhibitory function of depressed patients during the processes of the Stroop color-word interference task with the Magnetic source imaging ( MSI) technology. Methods Twenty-three depressed patients and twenty age-,gender- and education- matched healthy controls were involved in the Stroop word-color interference test to detect the variation of brain inhibitory function by magnetoen-cephaloraphy scanning. Results Compared with the healthy controls,the abnormal activities in depressed patients during different time periods were separately as follows: increased activation in the bilateral thalamus( t = 2.46, t = 2.92 ) ,the right temple fusiform gyrus ( t = 1. 81) , the right middle temporal gyrus ( t = 1. 76) , the right inferior frontal gyrus( t = 2.28) , the left anterior cingulate( t = 2.00) , the left caudate head( t=1.81) ,the precentral gy-rus( t = 2.17) ,the right parahippocampal gyrus( t = 2.04) ,the left superior temporal gyrus(t = 2.47) ; decreased activation in the right superior temporal gyrus( t=1.76) ,the bilateral middle frontal gyrus(t=1.95, t = 2.09), the right cuneus( t=1.97) ,the cingulate gyrus( t=1.70, t = 2.08) ,the postcentral gyrus( t = 2.57, t = 2.65) , the left supramarginal gyrus( t = 2. 16) ,the left lentiform nucleus putamen( t = 2.39) ,the bilateral middle temporal gyrus (t = 2.22, t= 1.90) ,the left insula( t= 1. 81) ,the left superior temporal gyrus( t= 1.90) ,the right parietal lobe( t= 3.26). Conclusion The abnormal activation inefficiency in the brain regions related with inhibition function is reflected in depressed patients,and the ability against interference information declines. Key words: Depression; Inhibitory function; Magnetoencephaloraphy