title: White-matter integrity predicts stroop performance in patients with geriatric depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study tested the hypothesis that microstructural white matter abnormalities in frontostriatal-limbic tracts are associated with poor response inhibition on the Stroop task in depressed elders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one elders with major depression participated in a 12-week escitalopram trial. Diffusion tensor imaging was used to determine fractional anisotropy (FA) in white matter regions. Executive function (response inhibition) was assessed with the Stroop task. Voxelwise correlational analysis was used to examine the relationship between Stroop performance and fractional anisotropy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant associations between FA and Stroop color word interference were evident in multiple frontostriatal-limbic regions, including white matter lateral to the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex and white matter in prefrontal, insular, and parahippocampal regions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that microstructural white matter abnormalities of frontostriatal-limbic networks are associated with executive dysfunction of late-life depression. This observation provides the rationale for examination of specific frontostriatal-limbic pathways in the pathophysiology of geriatric depression.
authors.affiliation: Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Neill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry, White Plains, New York 10605, USA. cfm2001@med.cornell.edu
authors.forename: Christopher F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Faith M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Gunning-Dixon
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hoptman
authors.forename: Kelvin O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ardekani
authors.forename: Jessica K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Shields
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hrabe
authors.forename: Dora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kanellopoulos
authors.forename: Bindu R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Shanmugham
authors.forename: George S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Alexopoulos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016880:Anisotropy; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001931:Brain Mapping; D015283:Citalopram / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D015283:Citalopram