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Evidence for structural and functional abnormality in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex in major depressive disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 April 2014

E. Rodríguez-Cano ,
S. Sarró ,
G. C. Monté ,
T. Maristany ,
R. Salvador ,
P. J. McKenna  and
E. Pomarol-Clotet
E. Rodríguez-Cano
Affiliation:
FIDMAG, Germanes Hospitalàries, Barcelona, Spain Benito Menni Complex Assistencial en Salut Mental, Barcelona, Spain
S. Sarró
Affiliation:
FIDMAG, Germanes Hospitalàries, Barcelona, Spain Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
G. C. Monté
Affiliation:
FIDMAG, Germanes Hospitalàries, Barcelona, Spain Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
T. Maristany
Affiliation:
Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Infantil, Barcelona, Spain
R. Salvador
Affiliation:
FIDMAG, Germanes Hospitalàries, Barcelona, Spain Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
P. J. McKenna*
Affiliation:
FIDMAG, Germanes Hospitalàries, Barcelona, Spain Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
E. Pomarol-Clotet
Affiliation:
FIDMAG, Germanes Hospitalàries, Barcelona, Spain Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
*
*Address for correspondence: P. J. McKenna, FIDMAG, Germanes Hospitalàries, Benito Menni CASM, C/. Dr Antoni Pujadas 38, 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. (Email: mckennapeter1@gmail.com)
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Abstract

Background.

The subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) is considered to be an important site of abnormality in major depressive disorder. However, structural alterations in this region have not been a consistent finding and functional imaging studies have also implicated additional areas.

Method.

A total of 32 patients with major depressive disorder, currently depressed, and 64 controls underwent structural imaging with MRI. Also, 26 patients and 52 controls were examined using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during performance of the n-back working memory task. Structural and functional changes were evaluated using whole-brain, voxel-based methods.

Results.

The depressed patients showed volume reductions in the sgACC and orbitofrontal cortex bilaterally, plus in both temporal poles and the hippocampus/parahippocampal gyrus on the left. Functional imaging revealed task-related hypoactivation in the left lateral prefrontal cortex and other regions, as well as failure of deactivation in a subcallosal medial frontal cortical area which included the sgACC.

Conclusions.

Whole-brain, voxel-based analysis finds evidence of both structural and functional abnormality in the sgACC in major depressive disorder. The fact that the functional changes in this area took the form of failure of deactivation adds to previous findings of default mode network dysfunction in the disorder.

Keywords

Brain imagingfMRImajor depressive disordersubgenual anterior cingulated cortexvoxel-based morphometry
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 44 , Issue 15 , November 2014 , pp. 3263 - 3273
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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