Left prefrontal glucose hypometabolism in the depressed state: a confirmation.
The resting-state cerebral metabolic rates for glucose of 10 severely depressed patients (seven bipolar and three unipolar) were compared, before and after treatment with tricyclic antidepressants, to those of 10 control subjects of similar age by means of positron emission tomography and the fluorodeoxyglucose method. Significant left-right prefrontal asymmetry was present in the patients before but not after successful treatment, suggesting that medication can reduce this asymmetry. Also, significant hypofrontality and whole-cortex hypometabolism were found in the patients in the depressed state and persisted in the treated state, despite clinical improvement, suggesting that these abnormalities are not state dependent.
Atomic Energy Commission, Department of Biology, Orsay, France.
J L
JL
Martinot
P
P
Hardy
A
A
Feline
J D
JD
Huret
B
B
Mazoyer
D
D
Attar-Levy
S
S
Pappata
A
A
Syrota
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D003847:Deoxyglucose; D005947:Glucose