Study Report
Reference
| Citation | Frodl, 2008 PubMed |
| Full Info | Frodl, T.S., Koutsouleris, N., Bottlender, R., Born, C., Jager, M., Scupin, I., Reiser, M., Moller, H.J. and Meisenzahl, E.M. (2008) Depression-related variation in brain morphology over 3 years: effects of stress? Arch Gen Psychiatry, 65, 1156-1165.
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Study
| Hypothesis or Background |
Results of experimental studies suggest that neuroplastic changes may occur during depressive episodes. These effects have not been confirmed in patients with depression, to our knowledge. OBJECTIVE: To examine changes in the brains of patients with major depression vs those of healthy control subjects.
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| Sample Information | The study included 38 patients with major depression and 30 healthy controls. |
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| Method Detail | Prospective longitudinal 3-year study. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging was performed at baseline and 3 years later. Voxel-based morphometric measurements were estimated from magnetic resonance images, and psychopathologic findings were assessed at baseline, weekly during the inpatient phase, and then after 1, 2, and 3 years. |
| Method Keywords | magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) |
| Result | Compared with controls, patients showed significantly more decline in gray matter density of the hippocampus, anterior cingulum, left amygdala, and right dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Patients who remitted during the 3-year period had less volume decline than nonremitted patients in the left hippocampus, left anterior cingulum, left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, and bilaterally in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. |
| Conclusions | This study supports findings from animal studies of neuroplastic stress-related processes that occur in the hippocampus, amygdala, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and anterior cingulum during depressive episodes. |
| Remark | SETTING: Inpatients with major depression were recruited from the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany, and controls were recruited from the local community.
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Relationships reported by
Frodl, 2008
| Component A Approved Name (Name in Paper) |
Component A Type |
Component B Approved Name (Name in Paper) |
Component B Type |
Statistical Result |
Relationship Description |
Result Category (Positive/Negative)) |
|
MDD
|
syndrome |
right dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (right dorsomedial prefrontal cortex) |
brain morphology and function |
|
Compared with controls, patients showed significantly more decline in gray matter density of the right dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. |
Positive
|
|
MDD
|
syndrome |
Anterior cingulate cortex (anterior cingulum) |
brain morphology and function |
|
Compared with controls, patients showed significantly more decline in gray matter density of the anterior cingulum |
Positive
|
|
MDD
|
syndrome |
Left amygdala (left amygdala) |
brain morphology and function |
|
Compared with controls, patients showed significantly more decline in gray matter density of the left amygdala |
Positive
|
|
MDD
|
syndrome |
Hippocampus (hippocampus) |
brain morphology and function |
|
Compared with controls, patients showed significantly more decline in gray matter density of the hippocampus |
Positive
|
