title: A morphometric examination of neuronal and glial cell pathology in the orbitofrontal cortex in late-life depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The orbitofrontal cortex has been implicated as a key component in depression by several imaging studies. This study aims to examine morphometrically glial cell and neuronal density and neuronal volume in the orbitofrontal cortex of late-life major depression patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Post mortem tissue from 13 patients with major depression and 11 matched controls was obtained and analyzed using the optical disector and nucleator methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No changes were found in glial cell, pyramidal or non-pyramidal neuron density, or in non-pyramidal and pyramidal neuron volume in the orbitofrontal cortex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on previous findings, this study suggests variability in morphological changes within the orbitofrontal cortex, as well as the prefrontal cortex as a whole.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. ahmad.khundakar@ncl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khundakar
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oakley
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000473:pathology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000473:pathology