Limbic white matter microstructure plasticity reflects recovery from depression

Bracht, Tobias; Jones, Derek K.; Müller, Thomas Jörg; Wiest, Roland; Walther, Sebastian (2015). Limbic white matter microstructure plasticity reflects recovery from depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 170, pp. 143-149. Elsevier 10.1016/j.jad.2014.08.031

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BACKGROUND

White matter microstructure alterations of limbic and reward pathways have been reported repeatedly for depressive episodes in major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD). However, findings during remission are equivocal. It was the aim of this study to investigate if white matter microstructure changes during the time course of clinical remission.

METHODS

Fifteen depressed patients (11 MDD, 4 BD) underwent diffusion-weighted MRI both during depression, and during remission following successful antidepressive treatment (average time interval between scans=6 months). Fractional anisotropy (FA) was sampled along reconstructions of the supero-lateral medial forebrain bundle (slMFB), the cingulum bundle (CB), the uncinate fasciculus (UF), the parahippocampal cingulum (PHC) and the fornix. Repeated measures ANCOVAs controlling for the effect of age were calculated for each tract.

RESULTS

There was a significant main effect of time (inter-scan interval) for mean-FA for the right CB and for the left PHC. For both pathways there was a significant time×age interaction. In the right CB, FA increased in younger patients, while FA decreased in older patients. In the left PHC, a reverse pattern was seen. FA changes in the right CB correlated positively with symptom reductions. Mean-FA of UF, slMFB and fornix did not change between the two time points.

LIMITATIONS

All patients were medicated, sample size, and lack of control group.

CONCLUSIONS

Right CB and left PHC undergo age-dependent plastic changes during the course of remission and may serve as a state marker in depression. UF, slMFB and FO microstructure remains stable.

Item Type:

 Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

 04 Faculty of Medicine > University Psychiatric Services > University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy > UPD Murtenstrasse
04 Faculty of Medicine > University Psychiatric Services > University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy > Management
04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Radiology, Neuroradiology and Nuclear Medicine (DRNN) > Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology

UniBE Contributor:

 Bracht, Tobias, Müller, Thomas (A), Wiest, Roland Gerhard Rudi, Walther, Sebastian

Subjects:

 600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health

ISSN:

 0165-0327

Publisher:

 Elsevier

Language:

 English

Submitter:

 Andrea Stettler

Date Deposited:

 01 Oct 2014 09:47

Last Modified:

 29 Mar 2023 23:34

Publisher DOI:

 10.1016/j.jad.2014.08.031

PubMed ID:

 25240841

Uncontrolled Keywords:

 Bipolar disorder, Diffusion tensor imaging, Major depressive disorder, Neuroplasticity, Remission, Reward system

BORIS DOI:

 10.7892/boris.58968

URI:

 https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/58968

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