METHODS: One hundred and eighty-two patients with MDD and 64 matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to estimate the gray matter volume (GMV) of all subjects. The GMV differences between the AD and non-anxious depression (NAD) participants were used as regions of interest (ROIs) for subsequent resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC) analyses. Correlation analysis was used to evaluate the associations between clinical symptoms and abnormal function in specific brain areas.
RESULTS: Decreased GMV in the medial frontal gyrus (MFG) and the superior frontal gyrus (SFG) was observed in the AD group compared to the NAD group. Taking the MFG and SFG as ROIs, the rs-FC analysis revealed decreased FC between the left SFG and left temporal pole and between the left SFG and right MFG in the AD group compared to the NAD group. Finally, the FC between the left SFG and left temporal pole was negatively correlated with HAMD-17 scores in the AD group.
CONCLUSIONS: By combining the GMV and rs-FC models, this study revealed that structural and functional disruption of the affective network may be an important pathophysiology underlying AD. The structural impairment may serve as the foundation of the functional impairment.
方法:招募了118名MDD患者和64名匹配的健康对照(HCs)。使用基于体素的形态计量学(VBM)来估计所有受试者的灰质体积(GMV)。AD和非焦虑抑郁(NAD)参与者之间的GMV差异被用作后续静息状态功能连接(rs-FC)分析的感兴趣区域(ROI)。采用相关分析评价临床症状与特定脑区功能异常的相关性。
结果:与NAD组相比,在AD组中观察到内侧额回(MFG)和额上回(SFG)的GMV降低。以MFG和SFG为ROI,rs-FC分析显示,与NAD组相比,AD组左侧SFG与左侧颞极之间以及左侧SFG与右侧MFG之间的FC降低.最后,AD组左侧SFG和左侧颞极之间的FC与HAMD-17评分呈负相关。
结论:通过结合GMV和rs-FC模型,这项研究表明,情感网络的结构和功能破坏可能是AD的重要病理生理学基础。结构性损害可以作为功能损害的基础。