title: Active depression is associated with regional adiposity in the upper abdomen and the neck.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In major depression, the incidence of overweight, the risk of type 2 diabetes, as well as cardiovascular disease is increased. Aim was to determine body fat distribution in depressive and healthy females using whole body Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Measurements of total adipose tissue (TAT), visceral (VAT), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT) at the trunk and the whole body fat distribution along the body axis were performed and compared. Differences in body fat distribution between depressive and healthy females and their location were evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 11 women with a depressive syndrome (major depression, MD) and 45 healthy female volunteers (HC) matched for age and body mass index were compared. Total tissue (TT), TAT, VAT, and SCAT were quantified using T1-weighted whole body MRI. Adipose tissue distribution was compared along the body axis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MD patients showed higher adipose tissue volumes than the HC group. Especially in the upper abdomen, at the upper extremities and the neck, MD patients are characterized by a significantly higher adipose tissue mass compared to the HC group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study confirm the hypothesis of a high stress level with a disturbed hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis leading to a Cushing-like habitus and high visceral fat levels. The increased fat levels at the arms, as well as the whole body fat may be well-founded by a lack of activity in depression. These effects should be evaluated in further longitudinal studies investigating patients with a depressive syndrome and after remission.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Diagnostic and International Radiology, Section on Experimental Radiology, University Hospital Tuebingen, Germany. burkhard.ludescher@med.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ludescher
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Machann
authors.forename: Gerhard W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Eschweiler
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thamer
authors.forename: Constantin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maenz
authors.forename: Arno
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hipp
authors.forename: Claus D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Claussen
authors.forename: Fritz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schick
mesh_terms: D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D050154:Adiposity; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck / Q000473:pathology*