title: Effects of illness duration and treatment resistance on grey matter abnormalities in major depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Findings of brain structural changes in major depressive disorder are still inconsistent, partly because some crucial clinical variables have not been taken into account.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of major depressive disorder on grey matter volumes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Voxel-based morphometry was used to compare 66 patients with depression at different illness stages (22 each with first-episode, remitted-recurrent and treatment resistant/chronic depression) with 32 healthy controls. Brain volumes were correlated with clinical variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Voxel-based morphometry showed a significant group effect in right superior frontal gyrus, left medial frontal gyrus and left cingulate gyrus (P<0.05, family wise error-corrected). Patients whose condition was treatment resistant/chronic exhibited the smallest volumes in frontotemporal areas. Longer illness duration was negatively correlated with decreases in right medial frontal cortex and left insula.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Frontotemporolimbic areas are smaller in the patients with severe depression and are associated with duration of illness, but not with medication patterns, suggesting negative effects of long-lasting major depressive disorder on grey matter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques de Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau), Spain.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serra-Blasco
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Portella
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gómez-Ansón
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Diego-Adeliño
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vives-Gilabert
authors.forename: Dolors
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Puigdemont
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Granell
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Enric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pérez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D001569:Benzodiazepines