Subregional hippocampal deformations in major depressive disorder.
BACKGROUND
Hippocampal atrophy is a well reported feature of major depressive disorder, although the evidence has been mixed. The present study sought to examine hippocampal volume and subregional morphology in patients with major depressive disorder, who were all medication-free and in an acute depressive episode of moderate severity.


METHODS
Structural magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired in 37 patients (mean age 42 years) and 37 age, gender and IQ-matched healthy individuals. Hippocampal volume and subregional structural differences were measured by manual tracings and identification of homologous surface points to the central core of each hippocampus.


RESULTS
Both right (P=0.001) and left (P=0.005) hippocampal volumes were reduced in patients relative to healthy controls (n=37 patients and n=37 controls), while only the right hippocampus (P=0.016) showed a reduced volume in a subgroup of first-episode depression patients (n=13) relative to healthy controls. Shape analysis localised the subregional deformations to the subiculum and CA1 subfield extending into the CA2-3 subfields predominantly in the tail regions in the right (P=0.017) and left (P=0.011) hippocampi.


CONCLUSIONS
As all patients were in an acute depressive episode, effects associated with depressive state cannot be distinguished from trait effects.


CONCLUSIONS
Subregional hippocampal deficits are present early in the course of major depression. The deformations may reflect structural correlates underlying functional memory impairments and distinguish depression from other psychiatric disorders.
Cole
James
J
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK.
Toga
Arthur W
AW
Hojatkashani
Cornelius
C
Thompson
Paul
P
Costafreda
Sergi G
SG
Cleare
Anthony J
AJ
Williams
Steven C R
SC
Bullmore
Edward T
ET
Scott
Jan L
JL
Mitterschiffthaler
Martina T
MT
Walsh
Nicholas D
ND
Donaldson
Catherine
C
Mirza
Mubeena
M
Marquand
Andre
A
Nosarti
Chiara
C
McGuffin
Peter
P
Fu
Cynthia H Y
CH
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size
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