Relationship between cerebellar structure and emotional memory in depression

Abstract

BackgroundA few studies have been conducted on the relationship between cerebellar volume and emotional memory or clinical severity in major depressive disorder (MDD). In this study, we aimed to compare the volume and density of the cerebellar gray matter (GM) in patients with MDD and in healthy controls (HCs) and explore the association between these cerebellar parameters and measurements of emotional memory and clinical severity.MethodVoxel‐based morphometry (VBM) and Individual Brain Atlases using Statistical Parametric Mapping (IBASPM) were used to assess GM density and volume in the cerebellum, respectively, in patients with MDD and the HCs. Indicators of emotional memory performance were measured, including the hit rate (HR), rate of false alarm (FA), precision (Pr = HR − FA) and emotional memory enhancement [∆Pr = Pr(emotion) − Pr(neutral)] values. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores were used to measure the severity of depression.ResultsIn the patients with MDD, the GM density was decreased in three cerebellar cortical regions and increased in three cerebellar cortical regions (p < .005). The GM volumes in eight cerebellar cortical regions were significantly smaller in the patients with MDD than in the HC subjects (p < .05). In the patients with MDD, the GM volume was correlated with the ∆Pr (p < .05) in two cerebellar cortical regions. The BDI scores were significantly correlated with the relative GM densities (p < .05) in 5 cerebellar cortical regions, and the GM volumes in 13 cerebellar cortical regions were correlated with the BDI scores in patients with MDD.ConclusionsEmotional memory and the severity of depressive symptoms are associated with structural changes in both the posterior and anterior GM regions in the cerebellum in patients with MDD. These findings could be useful for improving our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying emotional memory and explaining the abnormalities of the neural correlates that are associated with MDD.

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“…In line with previous studies (Lai and Wu, 2016 ; Xu L.-Y. et al, 2017 ), we found that some cerebellum regions showed high discriminative powers, such as left cerebellum 7b, right cerebellum 3, vermis 7 and vermis 8, indicating the cerebellum as a key node in the cognitive processing of MDDs (Lu et al, 2012 ).…”

Altered Regional Cerebral Blood Flow Associated with Mood and Sleep in Shift Workers: Cerebral Perfusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

“…Functional MRI studies have revealed that the cerebellum is involved in cognition and emotion in addition to motor control 242526. Our findings are in line with previous research showing that emotional memory and the severity of depressive symptoms are associated with structural changes in anterior gray-matter regions of the cerebellum in patients with depression 26…”

State-Related Alterations of Spontaneous Neural Activity in Current and Remitted Depression Revealed by Resting-State fMRI

“…Besides, the activity level in this area was correlated with depressive symptom in the rMDD group, which may imply that the state-related hyperactivities in the anterior lobe of cerebellum found in the rMDD patients are involved in a compensatory mechanism. The relation between cerebellum brain activity and depressive symptom has been reported by fMRI and sMRI findings (Zeng et al, 2012; Xu et al, 2017). This association may be illustrated by the cerebellar connections with limbic regions, brainstem, temporal lobe, prefrontal lobe, and cingulate gyrus, areas shown to have profound influence on cognitive processing and emotional regulation (Haines et al, 1984; Middleton and Strick, 2001; Turner et al, 2007).…”