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Chiappelli J, Adhikari BM, Kvarta MD, Bruce HA, Goldwaser EL, Ma Y, Chen S, Ament S, Shuldiner AR, Mitchell BD, Kochunov P, Wang DJJ, Hong LE. Depression, stress and regional cerebral blood flow. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2023; 43:791-800. [PMID: 36606600 PMCID: PMC10108192 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x221148979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Decreased cerebral blood flow (CBF) may be an important mechanism associated with depression. In this study we aimed to determine if the association of CBF and depression is dependent on current level of depression or the tendency to experience depression over time (trait depression), and if CBF is influenced by depression-related factors such as stressful life experiences and antidepressant medication use. CBF was measured in 254 participants from the Amish Connectome Project (age 18-76, 99 men and 154 women) using arterial spin labeling. All participants underwent assessment of symptoms of depression measured with the Beck Depression Inventory and Maryland Trait and State Depression scales. Individuals diagnosed with a unipolar depressive disorder had significantly lower average gray matter CBF compared to individuals with no history of depression or to individuals with a history of depression that was in remission at time of study. Trait depression was significantly associated with lower CBF, with the associations strongest in cingulate gyrus and frontal white matter. Use of antidepressant medication and more stressful life experiences were also associated with significantly lower CBF. Resting CBF in specific brain regions is associated with trait depression, experience of stressful life events, and current antidepressant use, and may provide a valuable biomarker for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Chiappelli
- Maryland Psychiatric Research
Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine,
Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bhim M Adhikari
- Maryland Psychiatric Research
Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine,
Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mark D Kvarta
- Maryland Psychiatric Research
Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine,
Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Heather A Bruce
- Maryland Psychiatric Research
Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine,
Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Eric L Goldwaser
- Maryland Psychiatric Research
Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine,
Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yizhou Ma
- Maryland Psychiatric Research
Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine,
Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shuo Chen
- Maryland Psychiatric Research
Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine,
Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Seth Ament
- Maryland Psychiatric Research
Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine,
Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alan R Shuldiner
- Department of Medicine, University
of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Braxton D Mitchell
- Department of Medicine, University
of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Geriatrics Research and Education
Clinical Center, Baltimore Veterans Administration, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Peter Kochunov
- Maryland Psychiatric Research
Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine,
Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Danny JJ Wang
- Laboratory of Functional MRI
Technology, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck
School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA,
USA
| | - L Elliot Hong
- Maryland Psychiatric Research
Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine,
Baltimore, MD, USA
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Yamanbaeva G, Schaub AC, Schneider E, Schweinfurth N, Kettelhack C, Doll JPK, Mählmann L, Brand S, Beglinger C, Borgwardt S, Lang UE, Schmidt A. Effects of a probiotic add-on treatment on fronto-limbic brain structure, function, and perfusion in depression: Secondary neuroimaging findings of a randomized controlled trial. J Affect Disord 2023; 324:529-538. [PMID: 36610592 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.12.142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Probiotics are suggested to improve depressive symptoms via the microbiota-gut-brain axis. We have recently shown a beneficial clinical effect of probiotic supplementation in patients with depression. Their underlying neural mechanisms remain unknown. METHODS A multimodal neuroimaging approach including diffusion tensor imaging, resting-state functional MRI, and arterial spin labeling was used to investigate the effects of a four-weeks probiotic supplementation on fronto-limbic brain structure, function, and perfusion and whether these effects were related to symptom changes. RESULTS Thirty-two patients completed both imaging assessments (18 placebo and 14 probiotics group). Probiotics maintained mean diffusivity in the left uncinate fasciculus, stabilized it in the right uncinate fasciculus, and altered resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) between limbic structures and the temporal pole to a cluster in the precuneus. Moreover, a cluster in the left superior parietal lobule showed altered rsFC to the subcallosal cortex, the left orbitofrontal cortex, and limbic structures after probiotics. In the probiotics group, structural and functional changes were partly related to decreases in depressive symptoms. LIMITATIONS This study has a rather small sample size. An additional follow-up MRI session would be interesting for seeing clearer changes in the relevant brain regions as clinical effects were strongest in the follow-up. CONCLUSION Probiotic supplementation is suggested to prevent neuronal degeneration along the uncinate fasciculus and alter fronto-limbic rsFC, effects that are partly related to the improvement of depressive symptoms. Elucidating the neural mechanisms underlying probiotics' clinical effects on depression provide potential targets for the development of more precise probiotic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Else Schneider
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nina Schweinfurth
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Cedric Kettelhack
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jessica P K Doll
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Laura Mählmann
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Serge Brand
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Stefan Borgwardt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Undine E Lang
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland
| | - André Schmidt
- University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK), Basel, Switzerland.
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