title: Magnetization transfer imaging reveals the brain deficit in patients with treatment-refractory depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies on treatment resistant depression (TRD) using advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques are very limited.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of 15 patients with clinically defined TRD and 15 matched healthy controls underwent magnetization transfer imaging (MTI) and T1-weighted (T1W) imaging. MTI data were processed and analyzed voxel-wised in SPM2. A voxel based morphometric (VBM) analysis was performed using T1W images.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reduced magnetization transfer ratio was observed in the TRD group relative to normal controls in the anterior cingulate, insula, caudate tail and amygdala-parahippocampal areas. All these regions were identified within the right hemisphere. VBM revealed no morphological abnormalities in the TRD group compared to the control group. Negative correlations were found between MRI and clinical measures in the inferior temporal gyrus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cross-sectional design and small sample size.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that MTI is capable of identifying subtle brain abnormalities which underlie TRD and in general more sensitive than morphological measures.
authors.affiliation: Huaxi MR Research Center, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, PR China.
authors.forename: Ti-Jiang
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qi-Zhu
authors.initials: QZ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xiao-Qi
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xue-Li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Su
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jun-Mei
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Wei-Hong
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.forename: Dong-Ming
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hua-Fu
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Raymond C K
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mechelli
authors.forename: Qi-Yong
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Gong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents