title: Enlargement of the amygdala in patients with a first episode of major depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The amygdala plays a crucial role in the mediation of affective behavior in humans and is implemented in the limbic-thalamic-cortical network that is supposed to modulate human mood. The aim of the present study was to measure the amygdala volumes in patients with a first episode of major depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty inpatients with a first episode of depression were compared with 30 healthy volunteers matched for age, gender, handedness, and education by performing structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of the amygdala.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients showed increased amygdala volumes in both hemispheres as compared to healthy control subjects. No significant correlations were found between amygdala volumes and age, age of onset, illness duration, or severity of depression in the patient group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Enlarged amygdala volumes in patients with a first episode of major depression might be due to enhanced blood flow in the amygdala rather than to a neurodevelopmental structural predisposition to major depression.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Frodl
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Meisenzahl
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Zetzsche
authors: Ronald
authors: R
authors: Bottlender
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Born
authors: Constanze
authors: C
authors: Groll
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Jäger
authors: Gerda
authors: G
authors: Leinsinger
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: Hahn
authors: Hans-Jürgen
authors: HJ
authors: Möller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000473:pathology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales