[Small frontal gray matter volume in first-episode depression patients].
OBJECTIVE
Brain imaging studies have shown that depressed individuals suffer from inadequate frontal lobe functions vis à vis smaller frontal lobes. The effects of depression's recurrent nature and long-term antidepressant treatment are not definitely known. This study aimed to examine frontal lobe volume at the onset of clinical depression by including first-episode drug-naive depressed patients.


METHODS
The study included 23 first-episode drug-free major depression patients diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) and 28 healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Cranial magnetic resonance (MR) images were obtained in both groups using a 1.5 Tesla device. Gray and white matter volumes in the frontal lobes were measured using the Medical Image Processing Analysis and Visualization (MIPAV) computer program.


RESULTS
Frontal gray matter volume in the patients was lower than that in the control group. White matter and total intracranial volume did not differ between the 2 groups. Small gray matter volume was not correlated with the duration or severity of illness.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study indicate that frontal lobe gray matter volume is low in first-episode depressed patients and is independent of both illness severity and duration. This result suggests that the observed changes in the frontal lobe could have occurred before the clinical symptoms of depression were observed.
Bilgi
Mustafa Melih
MM
Psikiyatri AD, Ege University Tip Fak., Izmir. melihbilgi2002@yahoo.com
Ozalay
Ozgün
O
Cağdaş Eker
Mehmet
M
Kitiş
Omer
O
Ozan
Erol
E
Eker
Ozlem
O
Simşek
Fatma
F
Işman Haznedaroğlu
Damla
D
Gönül
Ali Saffet
AS
D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009929:Organ Size; D012016:Reference Values; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D000928:Antidepressive Agents