title: Comparison of panic disorder with and without comorbid major depression by using brain structural magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Strong lifetime and current comorbidity occur between panic disorder and depression. However, no study has examined the influence of comorbid depression on brain structural characteristics in panic disorder patients. We aimed to compare gray matter (GM) volume and white matter (WM) connectivity in panic disorder patients with and without depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one panic disorder patients without comorbid major depression (PD-D) and seventeen panic disorder patients with major depression (PD+D) were investigated. The Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were assessed for all subjects. Voxel Based Morphometry 5 toolbox and Tract-Based Spatial Statistics were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to the PD-D group, GM volumes of patients with PD+D were significantly increased in a cluster located across the left cingulate gyrus, right medial frontal gyrus, and left paracentral lobule. Clinical symptom severity such as PDSS and BDI scores showed positive correlation with GM volumes in the PD+D group. Of the highlighted regions, the left posterior cingulate gyrus demonstrated both a GM volume difference between the groups and a positive correlation of GM volume with symptom severity in the PD+D group. Fractional anisotropy values were significantly higher across almost all the WM tracts in the PD+D group compared to the PD-D group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alteration of GM volume and WM connectivity was associated with comorbid depression in panic disorder patients in this study. These findings suggest that distinct structural characteristics may be related to comorbid depression occurring in the context of panic disorder.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
authors: Borah
authors: B
authors: Kim
authors: Min-Kyoung
authors: MK
authors: Kim
authors: Eunhye
authors: E
authors: Yoo
authors: Jun-Yeob
authors: JY
authors: Lee
authors: Ah Young
authors: AY
authors: Choe
authors: Ki-Hwan
authors: KH
authors: Yook
authors: Kang Soo
authors: KS
authors: Lee
authors: Tai Kiu
authors: TK
authors: Choi
authors: Sang-Hyuk
authors: SH
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D044466:Asian People; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001569:Benzodiazepines; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors