A Comparative Study of Regional Homogeneity of Resting-State fMRI Between the Early-Onset and Late-Onset Recurrent Depression in Adults

Differences in cognitive deficits and brain functional impairments between patients with first-episode and recurrent depression

BACKGROUND

Accumulating evidence shows that cognitive deficits are common in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the specific differences in cognitive impairment and brain functional alterations between first-episode depression (FED) and recurrent major depression (RMD) remain unclear, as do the relationships among these factors.

METHODS

A total of 43 RMD and 41 FED patients were included in this study. All the patients underwent examinations of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), event-related potential (ERP) measurements, and a series of standardised neuropsychological tests, including event-based (EBPM) and time-based (TBPM) prospective memory tasks, the Semantic Fluency Test (SFT), and the Continuous Performance Task-Identical Pairs (CPT-IP). Two-sample t-tests were used to compare cognitive functioning, ERP parameters, and brain functional indices between FED and RMD groups. Correlation analyses were performed to explore the associations between these variables.

RESULTS

Compared with FED patients, those with RMD displayed poorer CPT-IP performance, lower prospective memory (EBPM) scores, lower SFT performance, and prolonged P300 latency (all P < 0.05). Moreover, neuroimaging data analysis revealed increased regional neural activity in the right inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), alongside decreased interhemispheric functional connectivity in the bilateral ITG in RMD relative to FED. Correlation analyses indicated that these functional changes were significantly associated with the observed cognitive deficits.

CONCLUSION

Our data demonstrated more pronounced cognitive deficits and brain functional impairments in RMD relative to FED as well as their potential links. These findings not only elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive deficits in MDD, but also inform future treatment and prevention of cognitive dysfunction in patients suffering from MDD.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

Not applicable.

Degree centrality values in the left calcarine as a potential imaging biomarker for anxious major depressive disorder

BACKGROUND

Major depressive disorder (MDD) with comorbid anxiety is an intricate psychiatric condition, but limited research is available on the degree centrality (DC) between anxious MDD and nonanxious MDD patients.

AIM

To examine changes in DC values and their use as neuroimaging biomarkers in anxious and non-anxious MDD patients.

METHODS

We examined 23 anxious MDD patients, 30 nonanxious MDD patients, and 28 healthy controls (HCs) using the DC for data analysis.

RESULTS

Compared with HCs, the anxious MDD group reported markedly reduced DC values in the right fusiform gyrus (FFG) and inferior occipital gyrus, whereas elevated DC values in the left middle frontal gyrus and left inferior parietal angular gyrus. The nonanxious MDD group exhibited surged DC values in the bilateral cerebellum IX, right precuneus, and opercular part of the inferior frontal gyrus. Unlike the nonanxious MDD group, the anxious MDD group exhibited declined DC values in the right FFG and bilateral calcarine (CAL). Besides, declined DC values in the right FFG and bilateral CAL negatively correlated with anxiety scores in the MDD group.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that abnormal DC patterns in MDD, especially in the left CAL, can distinguish MDD from its anxiety subtype, indicating a potential neuroimaging biomarker.

An objective quantitative diagnosis of depression using a local-to-global multimodal fusion graph neural network

This study developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system using a local-global multimodal fusion graph neural network (LGMF-GNN) to address the challenge of diagnosing major depressive disorder (MDD), a complex disease influenced by social, psychological, and biological factors. Utilizing functional MRI, structural MRI, and electronic health records, the system offers an objective diagnostic method by integrating individual brain regions and population data. Tested across cohorts from China, Japan, and Russia with 1,182 healthy controls and 1,260 MDD patients from 24 institutions, it achieved a classification accuracy of 78.75%, an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 80.64%, and correctly identified MDD subtypes. The system further discovered distinct brain connectivity patterns in MDD, including reduced functional connectivity between the left gyrus rectus and right cerebellar lobule VIIB, and increased connectivity between the left Rolandic operculum and right hippocampus. Anatomically, MDD is associated with thickness changes of the gray and white matter interface, indicating potential neuropathological conditions or brain injuries.

Neural Modulation Alteration to Positive and Negative Emotions in Depressed Patients: Insights from fMRI Using Positive/Negative Emotion Atlas

BACKGROUND

Although it has been noticed that depressed patients show differences in processing emotions, the precise neural modulation mechanisms of positive and negative emotions remain elusive. FMRI is a cutting-edge medical imaging technology renowned for its high spatial resolution and dynamic temporal information, making it particularly suitable for the neural dynamics of depression research.

METHODS

To address this gap, our study firstly leveraged fMRI to delineate activated regions associated with positive and negative emotions in healthy individuals, resulting in the creation of the positive emotion atlas (PEA) and the negative emotion atlas (NEA). Subsequently, we examined neuroimaging changes in depression patients using these atlases and evaluated their diagnostic performance based on machine learning.

RESULTS

Our findings demonstrate that the classification accuracy of depressed patients based on PEA and NEA exceeded 0.70, a notable improvement compared to the whole-brain atlases. Furthermore, ALFF analysis unveiled significant differences between depressed patients and healthy controls in eight functional clusters during the NEA, focusing on the left cuneus, cingulate gyrus, and superior parietal lobule. In contrast, the PEA revealed more pronounced differences across fifteen clusters, involving the right fusiform gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings emphasize the complex interplay between emotion modulation and depression, showcasing significant alterations in both PEA and NEA among depression patients. This research enhances our understanding of emotion modulation in depression, with implications for diagnosis and treatment evaluation.

Resting-state brain activity as a biomarker of chronic pain impairment and a mediator of its association with pain resilience

Past cross-sectional chronic pain studies have revealed aberrant resting-state brain activity in regions involved in pain processing and affect regulation. However, there is a paucity of longitudinal research examining links of resting-state activity and pain resilience with changes in chronic pain outcomes over time. In this prospective study, we assessed the status of baseline (T1) resting-state brain activity as a biomarker of later impairment from chronic pain and a mediator of the relation between pain resilience and impairment at follow-up. One hundred forty-two adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain completed a T1 assessment comprising a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan based on regional homogeneity (ReHo) and self-report measures of demographics, pain characteristics, psychological status, pain resilience, pain severity, and pain impairment. Subsequently, pain impairment was reassessed at a 6-month follow-up (T2). Hierarchical multiple regression and mediation analyses assessed relations of T1 ReHo and pain resilience scores with changes in pain impairment. Higher T1 ReHo values in the right caudate nucleus were associated with increased pain impairment at T2, after controlling for all other statistically significant self-report measures. ReHo also partially mediated associations of T1 pain resilience dimensions with T2 pain impairment. T1 right caudate nucleus ReHo emerged as a possible biomarker of later impairment from chronic musculoskeletal pain and a neural mechanism that may help to explain why pain resilience is related to lower levels of later chronic pain impairment. Findings provide empirical foundations for prospective extensions that assess the status of ReHo activity and self-reported pain resilience as markers for later impairment from chronic pain and targets for interventions to reduce impairment. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Resting-state markers of impairment: Higher baseline (T1) regional homogeneity (ReHo) values, localized in the right caudate nucleus, were associated with exacerbations in impairment from chronic musculoskeletal pain at a 6-month follow-up, independent of T1 demographics, pain experiences, and psychological factors. Mediating role of ReHo values: ReHo values in the right caudate nucleus also mediated the relationship between baseline pain resilience levels and later pain impairment among participants. Therapeutic implications: Findings provide empirical foundations for research extensions that evaluate (1) the use of resting-state activity in assessment to identify people at risk for later impairment from pain and (2) changes in resting-state activity as biomarkers for the efficacy of treatments designed to improve resilience and reduce impairment among those in need.

Altered functional brain activity in first-episode major depressive disorder treated with electro-acupuncture: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Background

Previous studies have found electroacupuncture could improve the clinical symptoms of first-episode major depressive disorder (MDD), but the exact neural mechanism of action needs to be further elucidated.

Methods

Twenty-eight first-episode MDD patients were randomly divided into 14 electro-acupuncture stimulation (EAS) groups and 14 sham-acupuncture stimulation (SAS) groups, and clinical symptoms were assessed and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans were done in both groups. Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) was used to observe the changes between the pre-treatment and post-treatment in the two groups, and the altered brain areas were selected as region of interest (ROI) to observe the FC changes. Meanwhile, the correlation between the altered clinical symptoms and the altered ALFF and FC of brain regions in the two groups was analyzed.

Results

The EAS significantly decreased the HAMD-24 and HAMA-14 scores of MDD than SAS group. The imaging results revealed that both groups were able to increase the ALFF of the left middle temporal gyrus and the left cerebellar posterior lobe. When using the left middle temporal gyrus and the left posterior cerebellar lobe as ROIs, EAS group increased the FC between the left middle temporal gyrus with the left superior frontal gyrus, the left middle frontal gyrus, and the left hippocampus, and decreased the FC between the left posterior cerebellar lobe and the left calcarine gyrus, while SAS group only increased the FC between the left middle temporal gyrus with the left superior frontal gyrus. The alternations in clinical symptoms after EAS treatment were positively correlated with the altered ALFF values in the left middle temporal gyrus and the altered FC values in the left middle temporal gyrus and the left middle frontal gyrus.

Conclusion

EA demonstrates modulation of functional activity in the default mode network (DMN), sensorimotor network (SMN), cognitive control network (CCN), limbic system, and visual network (VN) for the treatment of the first-episode MDD. Our findings contribute to the neuroimaging evidence for the efficacy of EAS.

Brain alterations in adolescents with first-episode depression who have experienced adverse events: evidence from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging

Introduction

Adverse life events constitute primary risk factors for major depressive disorder (MDD), influencing brain function and structure. Adolescents, with their brains undergoing continuous development, are particularly susceptible to enduring impacts of adverse events.

Methods

We investigated differences and correlations among childhood trauma, negative life events, and alterations of brain function in adolescents with first-episode MDD. The study included 23 patients with MDD and 19 healthy controls, aged 10-19 years. All participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and were assessed using the beck depression inventory, childhood trauma questionnaire, and adolescent self-rating life events checklist.

Results

Compared with healthy controls, participants with first-episode MDD were more likely to have experienced emotional abuse, physical neglect, interpersonal relationship problems, and learning stress (all p' < 0.05). These adverse life events were significantly correlated with alterations in brain functions (all p < 0.05).

Discussion

This study contributes novel evidence on the underlying process between adverse life events, brain function, and depression, emphasizing the significant neurophysiological impact of environmental factors.

A comparative study of amplitude of low-frequence fluctuation of resting-state fMRI between the younger and older treatment-resistant depression in adults

Background

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) may have different physiopathological neuromechanism in different age groups. This study used the amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF) to initially compare abnormalities in local functional brain activity in younger and older patients with TRD.

Materials and methods

A total of 21 older TRD patients, 19 younger TRD, 19 older healthy controls (HCs), and 19 younger HCs underwent resting-state functional MRI scans, and the images were analyzed using the ALFF and further analyzed for correlation between abnormal brain regions and clinical symptoms in TRD patients of different age groups.

Results

Compared with the older TRD, the younger TRD group had increased ALFF in the left middle frontal gyrus and decreased ALFF in the left caudate nucleus. Compared with the matched HC group, ALFF was increased in the right middle temporal gyrus and left pallidum in the older TRD group, whereas no significant differences were found in the younger TRD group. In addition, ALFF values in the left middle frontal gyrus in the younger TRD group and in the right middle temporal gyrus in the older TRD were both positively correlated with the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score.

Conclusion

Different neuropathological mechanisms may exist in TRD patients of different ages, especially in the left middle frontal gyrus and left caudate nucleus. This study is beneficial in providing potential key targets for the clinical management of TRD patients of different ages.

Gender differences in major depressive disorders: A resting state fMRI study

BACKGROUND

Major depressive disorder (MDD) has a high disability rate and brings a large disease burden to patients and the country. Significant sex differences exist in both the epidemiological and clinical features in MDD. The effect of sex on brain function in MDD is not clear now. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) and ALFF are widely used research method in the study of brain function. This research aimed to use ReHo and ALFF to explore gender differences in brain function images in MDD.

METHODS

Eighty first-episode drug-naive patients (47 women and 30 men) with MDD and 85 age, education matched healthy volunteers (47 women and 31 men) were recruited in our study and participated in resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. ReHo and ALFF were used to assess brain activity, two-way ANOVA and post hoc analysis was conducted to explore the sex difference in MDD. Correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship between abnormal brain functioning and clinical symptoms.

RESULTS

We observed sex-specific patterns and diagnostic differences in MDD Patients, further post hoc comparisons indicated that women with MDD showed decreased ALFF value in the right superior occipital gyrus and decreased ReHo value in the left calcarine and left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus compared with HC females and men with MDD. Men with MDD showed decreased ReHo value in the right median cingulate gyrus compared with HC males and increased ReHo value in the left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus compared with HC males, we also found that HC males showed higher ReHo value in the right median cingulate gyrus than HC females.

CONCLUSIONS

Men and women do have sex differences in brain function, the occipital lobe, calcarine, DLPFC, and DCG were the main different brain regions found between male and female in MDD, which may be the biomarker brain regions that can help diagnose and treat MDD in men and women.