title: Longitudinal MRI study of cortical thickness, perfusion, and metabolite levels in major depressive disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) display morphologic, functional, and metabolic brain abnormalities in limbic-cortical regions at a baseline magnetic resonance (MR) scan and whether these changes are normalized in MDD patients in remission at a follow-up scan.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal 3.0-Tesla (T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study was carried out with cortical thickness measurements with a surface-based approach, perfusion measurements with three-dimensional (3D) pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL), and spectroscopy (1H-MRS) measurements in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) with water as an internal reference adjusted for cerebrospinal fluid content. We examined 23 MDD patients and 26 healthy controls. MDD patients underwent a baseline MRI at inclusion and were invited to a follow-up scan when they were in remission or after a 6-month follow-up period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Major findings were a significantly thinner posterior cingulate cortex in non-remitters than in remitters, a significant decrease in perfusion in the frontal lobes and the ACC in non-remitters compared with healthy controls at baseline and significantly reduced N-acetylaspartate, myo-inositol, and glutamate levels in MDD patients compared with healthy controls at baseline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using novel MRI techniques, we have found abnormalities in cerebral regions related to cortical-limbic pathways in MDD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Aalborg Hospital/Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. h.jarnum@rn.dk
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Järnum
authors.forename: Simon F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Eskildsen
authors.forename: Elena G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Steffensen
authors.forename: Søren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lundbye-Christensen
authors.forename: Carsten W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Simonsen
authors.forename: Ib S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Thomsen
authors.forename: Ernst-Torben
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Fründ
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Théberge
authors.forename: Elna-Marie
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Larsson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001682:Biological Availability; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008032:Limbic System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D010477:Perfusion / Q000379:methods*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D009435:Synaptic Transmission
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents