Altered Resting-State Connectivity in College Students with Nonclinical Depressive Symptoms

Abstract

BackgroundThe underlying brain basis of nonclinical depressive symptoms (nCDSs) is largely unknown. Recently, the seed-based functional connectivity (FC) approach for analyzing resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) data has been increasingly used to explore the neural basis of depressive disorders. Other than common seed-based FC method using an a priori seed region, we conducted FC analysis based on regions with altered spontaneous activity revealed by the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) approach. The aim of the present study was to provide novel insight in the underlying mechanism of nCDSs in college students.Methodology/Principal FindingsA total number of 1105 college students were recruited to participant in a survey for assessing depressive symptoms. Subsequently, 17 individuals with nCDSs and 20 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled to perform MR studies. Alternations of fALFF were identified in the right superior parietal lobule (SPL) and left lingual gyrus, both of which were used as ROIs for further FC analysis. With right SPL, compare with HCs, subjects with nCDSs showed reduced FCs in the bilateral dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), left inferior frontal gurus (IFG), left premotor cortex (PMC), DMN network [i.e., bilateral precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), right supramarginal gyrus (SMG), right parahippocampal gyrus (PHG), bilateral inferior temporal gurus (ITG)] and left cerebellum posterior lobe (CPL). In addition, increased FCs were observed between the left lingual gyrus and right fusiform gyrus as well as in the left precuneus.Conclusion/SignificanceOur results indicate the abnormalities of spontaneous activity in the right SPL and left lingual gyrus and their corresponding dysfunction of the brain circuits might be related to the pathophysiology of nCDSs.

Decreased Subcortical and Increased Cortical Degree Centrality in a Nonclinical College Student Sample with Subclinical Depressive Symptoms: A Resting-State fMRI Study

“…In addition, increased DC in the left IFG (BA 44) was observed in subclinical depressive subjects in the present study. Similarly, the abnormalities of left IFG have been increasingly reported in MDD (Guo et al, 2012) and nonclinical depression (Wei et al, 2014). It was suggested that deficits in semantic labeling of negative emotions were related to increased activation in left IFG in medication-free depressed individuals (van Wingen et al, 2011).…”

“…However, no study so far has investigated DC alterations in subclinical depression. As there have been very few studies focused on subclinical depression in young adults and the brain alterations of subclinical depression are largely unknown (Wei et al, 2014, 2015), the DC approach without requiring a priori selection is a promising strategy to uncover the neural basis of subclinical depression.…”

Targeting Ruminative Thinking in Adolescents at Risk for Depressive Relapse: Rumination-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy in a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial with Resting State fMRI

“…In addition, a recent RSFC study among college students with nonclinical depressive symptoms found altered connectivity in both the bilateral ITG and IFG [55]. In addition, hyperconnectivity within the DMN and hypoconnectivity within the CCN may distinguish adults with treatment-resistant depression [56,57].…”

Altered fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation associated with cognitive dysfunction in first-episode drug-naïve major depressive disorder patients

“…First, the size of the study sample could be an issue. Although it was suitable for fALFF analysis, the sample size in each group was relatively small, which might result in some subtle functional changes in the brain not being observed [51]. In addition, the inclusion criteria for education level in this study might be a possible bias and confounding issue.…”