title: State dependent posterior hippocampal volume increases in patients with major depressive disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The hippocampal formation has been implicated in etiology and therapy response in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, prospective longitudinal studies investigating volumes in hippocampal subregions and their association with clinical findings are still lacking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Global and regional hippocampal volumes and neuropsychological performance were assessed longitudinally in 15 young patients with unipolar early onset MDD who responded to therapy and 13 matched healthy control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although volumes at baseline did not differ between groups, patients with MDD showed significant posterior hippocampal volume increases during the treatment course (mean observation period 161.4 ± 58.6 days). Posterior hippocampal volume increases were seen in every single patient. The detected posterior hippocampal volume increases were significantly correlated with the number of solved problems in a planning task at baseline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study is limited by the small sample size. Moreover, future studies should include patients who do not respond to antidepressant treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with MDD showed selective increases in posterior hippocampal volumes which were not correlated to the degree of functional restitution. However, posterior hippocampal volume increases might constitute a surrogate parameter of neuroplasticity taking place during antidepressant therapy which might be predicted by executive functioning at baseline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Germany. schermuly@psychiatrie.klinik.uni-mainz.de
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schermuly
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lieb
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stoeter
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fellgiebel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009929:Organ Size; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents