title: Regional cerebral blood flow in late-life depression: arterial spin labelling magnetic resonance study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A limited number of studies have demonstrated changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) in older individuals with depression, but there are considerable inconsistencies between studies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate changes in CBF using arterial spin labelling (ASL) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in people with late-life depression and in a similarly aged healthy control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-eight participants (30 healthy individuals, 38 with depression) underwent ASL and T(1)-weighted MRI scanning. For each individual, regional estimates of separate grey and white matter CBF were obtained. Group differences in CBF and their associations with clinical features were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant increases were observed in white matter CBF in patients with depression relative to the control group (F(1,65) = 9.7, P = 0.003). Grey matter CBF in lateral frontal, medial frontal, cingulate, central and parietal regions did not significantly differ between groups (F(1,65)≤2.1, P≥0.2). A significant correlation was found between white matter CBF and Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores in depression (r' = -0.42, P = 0.03). Further analyses revealed that compared with controls, significant elevation of white matter CBF was apparent in participants whose depression was in remission (n = 21, MADRS≤10, P = 0.001) but not in those with current depression (n = 17, MADRS≥11, P = 0.80).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest a compensatory response to white matter pathological change or a response to (or a predictor of) successful antidepressant treatment, perhaps by facilitating neurotransmission in specific circuits and so reducing depressive symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Ageing and Health, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL, UK. s.j.colloby@ncl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Sean J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Colloby
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Firbank
authors.forename: Jiabao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Akshya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vasudev
authors.forename: Steve W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Parry
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: O'Brien
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013113:Spin Labels
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D013113:Spin Labels