White matter microstructural abnormalities in late-life depression.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the location and the degree of white matter damage in late-life depression using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).


METHODS
Thirty-one patients with late-life depression and 15 healthy volunteers matched for age, gender and years of education received conventional MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and MR-diffusion tensor scanning. The fractional anisotropy (FA) values of white matter were measured respectively in frontal and temporal regions and the corpus callosum.


RESULTS
FA values were significantly decreased in the frontal (superior and middle frontal gyrus), and temporal (right parahippocampal gyrus) regions of elderly patients with depression compared with healthy controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Microstructural changes in the frontal (superior and middle frontal gyrus) and temporal (right parahippocampal gyrus) areas are associated with late-life depression.
Yang
Qiong
Q
Department of Radiology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
Huang
Xuebing
X
Hong
Nan
N
Yu
Xin
X
D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000503:physiopathology