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Long Y, Li X, Cao H, Zhang M, Lu B, Huang Y, Liu M, Xu M, Liu Z, Yan C, Sui J, Ouyang X, Zhou X. Common and distinct functional brain network abnormalities in adolescent, early-middle adult, and late adult major depressive disorders. Psychol Med 2024; 54:582-591. [PMID: 37553976 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723002234] [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] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The age-related heterogeneity in major depressive disorder (MDD) has received significant attention. However, the neural mechanisms underlying such heterogeneity still need further investigation. This study aimed to explore the common and distinct functional brain abnormalities across different age groups of MDD patients from a large-sample, multicenter analysis. METHODS The analyzed sample consisted of a total of 1238 individuals including 617 MDD patients (108 adolescents, 12-17 years old; 411 early-middle adults, 18-54 years old; and 98 late adults, > = 55 years old) and 621 demographically matched healthy controls (60 adolescents, 449 early-middle adults, and 112 late adults). MDD-related abnormalities in brain functional connectivity (FC) patterns were investigated in each age group separately and using the whole pooled sample, respectively. RESULTS We found shared FC reductions among the sensorimotor, visual, and auditory networks across all three age groups of MDD patients. Furthermore, adolescent patients uniquely exhibited increased sensorimotor-subcortical FC; early-middle adult patients uniquely exhibited decreased visual-subcortical FC; and late adult patients uniquely exhibited wide FC reductions within the subcortical, default-mode, cingulo-opercular, and attention networks. Analysis of covariance models using the whole pooled sample further revealed: (1) significant main effects of age group on FCs within most brain networks, suggesting that they are decreased with aging; and (2) a significant age group × MDD diagnosis interaction on FC within the default-mode network, which may be reflective of an accelerated aging-related decline in default-mode FCs. CONCLUSIONS To summarize, these findings may deepen our understanding of the age-related biological and clinical heterogeneity in MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yicheng Long
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xuemei Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hengyi Cao
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA
- Division of Psychiatry Research, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, NY, USA
| | - Manqi Zhang
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bing Lu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Huang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Mengqi Liu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ming Xu
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Brainnetome Center and National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhening Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chaogan Yan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Sui
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xuan Ouyang
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xinyu Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Wang X, Wang Q, Ren H, Wang X, Tang J, Liao Y, Wu Q, Liu Y, Chen S, Zhou Y, Hao Y, Ma Y, He L, Wang Y, Li M, Zhang J, Yang Q, Peng P, Xu H, He H, Wang Y, Long J, Liu T, Zhang XY. The prevalence and clinical correlates of anxiety in Chinese patients with first-episode and drug-naïve major depressive disorder at different ages of onset. J Affect Disord 2023; 325:306-312. [PMID: 36638965 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) with comorbid anxiety is very common and is associated with worse clinical outcomes. MDD patients at different ages of onset may have different clinical features and associated factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and related factors in MDD patients at different ages of onset. METHODS A total of 1718 first-episode and drug-naïve (FEDN) MDD patients were recruited. The cutoff point for early-adulthood onset (EAO) and mid-adulthood onset (MAO) was the first depressive episode before or after age 45 years. Clinical features (depressive, anxiety and psychiatric symptoms) and some metabolic parameters were collected. RESULTS There was no significant difference in the prevalence of anxiety between EAO patients (50.7 %) and MAO patients (55.7 %). For EAO patients, regression analysis showed that TSH levels, TgAb levels, and TC levels were significantly associated with anxiety. For MAO patients, regression analysis showed that anxiety was associated with HDL-c levels and impaired glucose metabolism. Furthermore, suicide attempts, psychotic symptoms, and depression severity were correlated with anxiety in both groups. LIMITATIONS Our cross-sectional study cannot explain the causal relationship between anxiety and related factors in MDD patients at different ages of onset. CONCLUSIONS This study revealed that the clinical characteristics and factors associated with anxiety in MDD patients differed according to age of onset, and therefore age of onset needs to be considered while treating anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qianjin Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Honghong Ren
- Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Xuyi Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jinsong Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanhui Liao
- Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiuxia Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yueheng Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Shubao Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yanan Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yuzhu Hao
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yuejiao Ma
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Li He
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yunfei Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Manyun Li
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Junhong Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qian Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Pu Peng
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Huixue Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Haoyu He
- Department of Psychology, College of Education, Hunan First Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Yingying Wang
- School of Physical Education and Health, Hunan University of Technology and Business, Changsha, China
| | - Jiang Long
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Tieqiao Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Xiang-Yang Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Tassone VK, Demchenko I, Salvo J, Mahmood R, Di Passa AM, Kuburi S, Rueda A, Bhat V. Contrasting the amygdala activity and functional connectivity profile between antidepressant-free participants with major depressive disorder and healthy controls: A systematic review of comparative fMRI studies. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2022; 325:111517. [PMID: 35944425 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2022.111517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Functional neuroimaging research suggests that the amygdala is implicated in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). This systematic review aimed to identify consistently reported amygdala activity and functional connectivity (FC) abnormalities in antidepressant-free participants with MDD as compared to healthy controls at baseline (i.e., before treatment initiation or experimental manipulation). A search for relevant published studies and registered clinical trials was conducted through OVID (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase) and ClinicalTrials.gov with an end date of March 7th, 2022. Fifty published studies and two registered clinical trials were included in this review. Participants with MDD frequently exhibited amygdala hyperactivity in response to negative stimuli, abnormal event-related amygdala-anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) FC, and abnormal resting-state amygdala FC with the insula and the prefrontal, temporal, and parietal cortices. Decreased resting-state FC was consistently found between the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex, striatum, cerebellum, and middle/inferior frontal gyri. Due to the limited number of studies examining resting-state amygdala activity and FC with specific subregions of interest, including those within the ACC, further investigation is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa K Tassone
- Interventional Psychiatry Program, St. Michael's Hospital, 193 Yonge Street 6-013, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1M8, Canada
| | - Ilya Demchenko
- Interventional Psychiatry Program, St. Michael's Hospital, 193 Yonge Street 6-013, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1M8, Canada
| | - Joseph Salvo
- Interventional Psychiatry Program, St. Michael's Hospital, 193 Yonge Street 6-013, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1M8, Canada
| | - Raesham Mahmood
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Medical Sciences Building, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Anne-Marie Di Passa
- Interventional Psychiatry Program, St. Michael's Hospital, 193 Yonge Street 6-013, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1M8, Canada
| | - Sarah Kuburi
- Interventional Psychiatry Program, St. Michael's Hospital, 193 Yonge Street 6-013, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1M8, Canada
| | - Alice Rueda
- Interventional Psychiatry Program, St. Michael's Hospital, 193 Yonge Street 6-013, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1M8, Canada
| | - Venkat Bhat
- Interventional Psychiatry Program, St. Michael's Hospital, 193 Yonge Street 6-013, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1M8, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Medical Sciences Building, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1T8, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1R8, Canada.
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Delvecchio G, Pigoni A, Bauer IE, Soares JC, Brambilla P. Disease-discordant twin structural MRI studies on affective disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 108:459-471. [PMID: 31790709 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have identified neural structures implicated in the pathophysiology of mood disorders, especially bipolar disorder (BD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the role of genetic and environmental influences on such brain deficits is still unclear. In this context, the present review summarizes the current evidence from structural MRI and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) studies on twin samples concordant or discordant for BD or MDD, with the aim of clarifying the role of genetic and environmental risk factors on brain alterations. Although the results showed a complex interplay between gene and environment in affective disorders, the evidence seem to underline that both genetic and environmental risk factors have an impact on brain areas and vulnerability to MDD and BD. However, the precise mechanism of action and the interaction between these factors still needs to be unveiled. Therefore, future larger studies on concordant or discordant twins should be encouraged, because this population provides a unique opportunity to probe separately genetic and environmental markers of disease vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Delvecchio
- University of Milan, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Milan, Italy
| | - A Pigoni
- University of Milan, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Milan, Italy; Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Milan, Italy
| | - I E Bauer
- Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, USA
| | - J C Soares
- Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, USA
| | - P Brambilla
- University of Milan, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Milan, Italy; Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Milan, Italy.
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5
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Wu F, Tu Z, Sun J, Geng H, Zhou Y, Jiang X, Li H, Kong L. Abnormal Functional and Structural Connectivity of Amygdala-Prefrontal Circuit in First-Episode Adolescent Depression: A Combined fMRI and DTI Study. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:983. [PMID: 32116814 PMCID: PMC7013238 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abnormalities of functional and structural connectivity in the amygdala-prefrontal circuit which involved with emotion processing have been implicated in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD). Adolescent MDD may have severer dysfunction of emotion processing than adult MDD. In this study, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to examine the potential functional and structural connectivity abnormalities within amygdala-prefrontal circuit in first-episode medication-naïve adolescents with MDD. METHODS Rs-fMRI and DTI data were acquired from 36 first-episode medication-naïve MDD adolescents and 37 healthy controls (HC). Functional connectivity between amygdala and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values of the uncinate fasciculus (UF) which connecting amygdala and PFC were compared between the MDD and HC groups. The correlation between the FA value of UF and the strength of the functional connectivity in the PFC showing significant differences between the two groups was identified. RESULTS Compared with the HC group, decreased functional connectivity between left amygdala and left ventral PFC was detected in the adolescent MDD group. FA values were significant lower in the left UF within the adolescent MDD group compared to the HC group. There was no significant correlation between the UF and FA, and the strength of functional connectivity within the adolescent MDD group. CONCLUSIONS First-episode medication-naïve adolescent MDD showed decreased functional and structural connectivity in the amygdala-prefrontal circuit. These findings suggest that both functional and structural abnormalities of the amygdala-prefrontal circuit may present in the early onset of adolescent MDD and play an important role in the neuropathophysiology of adolescent MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhaoyuan Tu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Jiaze Sun
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Haiyang Geng
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yifang Zhou
- Department of Gerontology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaowei Jiang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Brain Function Research Section, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Huizi Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Lingtao Kong
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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Tang S, Lu L, Zhang L, Hu X, Bu X, Li H, Hu X, Gao Y, Zeng Z, Gong Q, Huang X. Abnormal amygdala resting-state functional connectivity in adults and adolescents with major depressive disorder: A comparative meta-analysis. EBioMedicine 2018; 36:436-445. [PMID: 30316866 PMCID: PMC6197798 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Revised: 09/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Although dysfunction of amygdala-related circuits is centrally implicated in major depressive disorder (MDD), little is known about how this dysfunction differs between adult and adolescent MDD patients. Methods Voxel-wise meta-analyses of abnormal amygdala resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) were conducted in adult and adolescent groups separately, followed by a quantitative meta-analytic comparison of the two groups. Findings Nineteen studies that included 665 MDD patients (392 adults and 273 adolescents) and 546 controls (341 adults and 205 adolescents) were identified in the current study. Adult-specific abnormal amygdala rsFC in MDD patients compared to that in controls was located mainly within the affective network, including increased connectivity with the right hippocampus/parahippocampus and bilateral ventromedial orbitofrontal cortex and decreased connectivity with the bilateral insula and the left caudate. Adolescent MDD patients specifically demonstrated decreased amygdala rsFC within the cognitive control network encompassing the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and imbalanced amygdala rsFC within the default mode network, which was manifested as hyperconnectivity in the right precuneus and hypoconnectivity in the right inferior temporal gyrus. Additionally, direct comparison between the two groups showed that adult patients had strengthened amygdala rsFC with the right hippocampus/parahippocampus as well as the right inferior temporal gyrus and weakened amygdala rsFC with the bilateral insula compared to that in adolescent patients. Interpretation Distinct impairments of amygdala-centered rsFC in adult and adolescent patients were related to different network dysfunctions in MDD. Adult-specific amygdala rsFC dysfunction within the affective network presumably reflects emotional dysregulation in MDD, whereas adolescent-specific amygdala rsFC abnormalities in networks involved in cognitive control might reflect the neural basis of affective cognition deficiency that is characteristic of adolescent MDD. Fund This study was supported by a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81671669) and by a Sichuan Provincial Youth Grant (2017JQ0001).
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Tang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Lu Lu
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Lianqing Zhang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Xinyu Hu
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Xuan Bu
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Hailong Li
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Xiaoxiao Hu
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Yingxue Gao
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Zirui Zeng
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China.
| | - Xiaoqi Huang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China.
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Pigoni A, Delvecchio G, Altamura AC, Soares JC, Fagnani C, Brambilla P. The role of genes and environment on brain alterations in Major Depressive Disorder: A review of twin studies: Special Section on "Translational and Neuroscience Studies in Affective Disorders". Section Editor, Maria Nobile MD, PhD. This Section of JAD focuses on the relevance of translational and neuroscience studies in providing a better understanding of the neural basis of affective disorders. The main aim is to briefly summaries relevant research findings in clinical neuroscience with particular regards to specific innovative topics in mood and anxiety disorders. J Affect Disord 2018; 234:346-350. [PMID: 29100658 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.10.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although it has been consistently reported the important role of genetic and environmental risk factors on structural and functional alterations in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), the mechanism and the magnitude of the interactions between specific genetic and/or environmental risk factors on brain structures in this disabling disorder are still elusive. Therefore, in the last two decades an increased interest has been devoted to neuroimaging investigations on monozygotic and dizygotic twin samples mainly because their intrinsic characteristics may help to separate the effects of genetic and environmental risk factors on clinical phenotypes, including MDD. METHODS In this context, the present review summarizes results from structural and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging studies that investigated twin samples in correlation with MDD. RESULTS Overall the results confirmed that a) MDD is characterized by significant alterations in selective brain areas presiding over emotion recognition and evaluation, including amygdala, insula and prefrontal cortices, and b) both genetic and environmental risk factors play a key role in the pathophysiology of this disorder. LIMITATIONS Few MRI studies exploring MDD in twin samples. CONCLUSIONS The specific contribution of both aspects is still not fully elucidated especially because genes and environment have an impact on the same brain areas, which are particularly vulnerable in MDD. Expansion of the current twin sample sizes would help to clearly establish the potential relationship between risk factors and the development of MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Pigoni
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - G Delvecchio
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - A C Altamura
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - J C Soares
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX, USA
| | - C Fagnani
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - P Brambilla
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; IRCCS "E Medea" Scientific Institute, Bosisio Parini, LC, Italy.
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