[Preliminary study of diffusion tensor imaging in treatment response assessment of major depression].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the value of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in therapeutic effect evaluation of major depression.


METHODS
Eighteen patients who met the CCMD-3-R criteria for major depression or bipolar disorder (with depressed episode and total score no less than 18 for 17 items of Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) and 13 aged-matched controls were examined by routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and DTI. DTI were used to determine fractional anisotropy (FA) in the preselected white matter regions. All the patients with major depression received treatment with selective serotonine reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) for 6-8 weeks, and the efficacy were assessed by Hamilton Depression Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale.


RESULTS
The total response rate to fluoxetine was 67%, and significant improvement was observed in 56% of the patients while 33% failed to respond after 8 weeks of treatment. The depressed subjects failing to respond to the treatment had a significant lower FA of the frontal white matter than those responding favorably to the treatment and the healthy control subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
DTI may identify the microstructural abnormality in the white matter, which is associated with a low remission rate of major depression.
Xia
Jun
J
Department of Radiology, Second People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518035, China. xiajun2003sz@yahoo.com.cn
Lei
Yi
Y
Xu
Hua-jian
HJ
Feng
Wei
W
Wu
Xiao-liu
XL
Liu
Xiao-lin
XL
D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors