Temporal-lobe morphology differs between healthy adolescents and those with early-onset of depression

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) has previously been linked to structural changes in several brain regions, particularly in the medial temporal lobes (Bellani, Baiano, Brambilla, 2010; Bellani, Baiano, Brambilla, 2011). This has been determined using voxel-based morphometry, segmentation algorithms, and analysis of shape deformations (Bell-McGinty et al., 2002; Bergouignan et al., 2009; Posener et al., 2003; Vasic et al., 2008; Zhao et al., 2008): these are methods in which information related to the shape and the pose (the size, and anatomical position and orientation) of structures is lost. Here, we incorporate information about shape and pose to measure structural deformation in adolescents and young adults with and without depression (as measured using the Beck Depression Inventory and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria). As a hypothesis-generating study, a significance level of p < 0.05, uncorrected for multiple comparisons, was used, so that subtle morphological differences in brain structures between adolescent depressed individuals and control participants could be identified. We focus on changes in cortical and subcortical temporal structures, and use a multi-object statistical pose and shape model to analyze imaging data from 16 females (aged 16–21) and 3 males (aged 18) with early-onset MDD, and 25 female and 1 male normal control participants, drawn from the same age range. The hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, putamen, and superior, inferior and middle temporal gyri in both hemispheres of the brain were automatically segmented using the LONI Probabilistic Brain Atlas (Shattuck et al., 2008) in MNI space. Points on the surface of each structure in the atlas were extracted and warped to each participant's structural MRI. These surface points were analyzed to extract the pose and shape features. Pose differences were detected between the two groups, particularly in the left and right putamina, right hippocampus, and left and right inferior temporal gyri. Shape differences were detected between the two groups, particularly in the left hippocampus and in the left and right parahippocampal gyri. Furthermore, pose measures were significantly correlated with BDI score across the whole (clinical and control) sample. Since the clinical participants were experiencing their very first episodes of MDD, morphological alteration in the medial temporal lobe appears to be an early sign of MDD, and is unlikely to result from treatment with antidepressants. Pose and shape measures of morphology, which are not usually analyzed in neuromorphometric studies, appear to be sensitive to depressive symptomatology.

A 3 tesla magnetic resonance imaging volumetric analysis of the hippocampal formation: dependence on handedness and age

“…The HF changes in volume were also seen in patients with cognitive impairment, including those with Alzheimer's disease [1,46]. Reduction in the HF volume was observed in heavy cannabis use, in epilepsy, mild cognitive decline, dementia, major depression, the aged, traumatic brain injury, posttraumatic stress disorder, chronic alcoholism, borderline and antisocial personality disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, herpes simplex encephalitis, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease, Down's and Turner's syndrome, cardiac arrest, and Cushing's disease [1,10,14,38,42].…”

“…Malformation, disorder or damage of the HF have a great importance in the pathogenesis, or consequences, of the variety of the neurological and psychiatric disorders, e.g. the epilepsy, schizophrenia, amnesia, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, aging, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease [14,26,37,38,41,42,49]. Even the slightest volume changes, which can be identified by modern imaging techniques, may indicate certain neuropathology or pathophysiology in this region.…”

Fusion analysis of first episode depression: Where brain shape deformations meet local composition of tissue

“…Further, patients in a current episode of MDD had lower left hippocampal volumes in comparison to controls, whereas patients in remission ( Hawley et al, 2002 ) from MDD showed no reduction in hippocampal volume. In our previous study ( Ramezani et al, 2014 ), we used multi-object statistical pose and shape analysis, and demonstrated brain morphological differences between adolescents with early-onset MDD and healthy controls.…”

Autobiographical memory in depression's pathology and treatment

“…Volumes of the left parahippocampal gyrus and the left superior temporal gyrus were significantly greater in depressed people compared with controls. 8 In addition, differences in the shape of several structures -particularly the left hippocampus, and the left and right parahippocampal gyri -emerged between depressed patients and controls. The pose (size, anatomical position and orientation) of, in particular, the left and right putamina, right hippocampus, and the left and right inferior temporal gyri also differed between patients with depression and controls.…”

“…So the changes are unlikely to result from antidepressants. 8 Furthermore, deterioration of executive functions mediated by the frontal lobes may contribute to the intrusive ruminations and OAM endured by people with depression. In people with recurrent depression, frontal dysfunction may undermine their ability to inhibit unpleasant recollections and thought as well as impairing working memory, verbal fluency and cognitive elasticity.…”