title: Gray matter anomalies in anterior cingulate cortex as a correlate of depressive symptoms in drug-naïve idiopathic restless legs syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depressive symptoms are frequent in idiopathic restless legs syndrome (RLS). However, little is known, so far, about the neurological basis. The present study aimed to explore the neuroanatomical anomalies in depressed drug-naïve RLS patients using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 16 drug-naïve idiopathic RLS patients with depressive symptoms (RLS-D), 18 drug-naïve idiopathic RLS patients without depressive symptoms (RLS-ND), and 18 normal controls. All participants underwent structural MRI scans on a 3-T MR system. The differences in regional gray matter (GM) density were determined across groups by VBM8. Additional regression analysis was used to identify any associations between regional GM density and clinical symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GM density of the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) was significantly reduced in RLS-D patients when compared to RLS-ND patients or to the healthy controls. However, there were no significant differences of GM density either when the whole RLS group or the RLS-ND group was compared to healthy controls, respectively. Particularly, we found GM density of right ACC was negatively correlated with the severity and duration of depressive symptoms in RLS-D patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Depressive symptoms are associated with GM anomalies in ACC in patients with RLS. We propose that ACC is perhaps an important neuroimaging marker for facilitating treatment strategies in patients with RLS when assessing depressive symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated Yancheng Hospital of Southeast University, Yancheng, PR China.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Affiliated Yancheng Hospital of Southeast University, Yancheng, PR China.
authors.forename: Z Y
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China.
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated Yancheng Hospital of Southeast University, Yancheng, PR China.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Affiliated Yancheng Hospital of Southeast University, Yancheng, PR China.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated Yancheng Hospital of Southeast University, Yancheng, PR China.
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated Yancheng Hospital of Southeast University, Yancheng, PR China.
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated Yancheng Hospital of Southeast University, Yancheng, PR China. Electronic address: jsyczjg@126.com.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated Yancheng Hospital of Southeast University, Yancheng, PR China. Electronic address: yc3yhcshi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D001284:Atrophy; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000473:pathology*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology
keywords: anterior cingulate cortex; depression; gray matter density; restless legs syndrome; voxel-based morphometry