title: [Small frontal gray matter volume in first-episode depression patients].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Psikiyatri AD, Ege University Tip Fak., Izmir. melihbilgi2002@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Mustafa Melih
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bilgi
authors.forename: Ozgün
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozalay
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cağdaş Eker
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kitiş
authors.forename: Erol
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozan
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Eker
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Simşek
authors.forename: Damla
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Işman Haznedaroğlu
authors.forename: Ali Saffet
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Gönül
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents