HMPAO SPECT brain imaging in treatment-resistant depression.
1. There is little published research on brain function in treatment-resistant depression (TRD). This study examined regional cerebral blood flow using 99mTechnetium-hexamethylpropanolamine oxime (HMPAO) single photon emission computed tomography in 8 patients with a history of TRD, 13 depressed patients without TRD (non-TRD) and 16 normal controls. 2. Relative HMPAO activity in selected brain regions revealed a significant increase in hippocampus-amygdala activity in TRD patients compared to non-TRD patients and healthy controls. The mean value of relative HMPAO activity did not differ in any other brain region, nor were there any differences in right-left symmetry among the subject groups. 3. The observation of increased hippocampus-amygdala HMPAO activity in TRD patients suggests that functional abnormalities in limbic circuitry may play a role in the pathophysiology of treatment-resistance.
Hornig
M
M
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Philadelphia, USA.
Mozley
P D
PD
Amsterdam
J D
JD
D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000098:blood supply; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime