title: Decreased inter-hemispheric connectivity in anterior sub-network of default mode network and cerebellum: significant findings in major depressive disorder.
abstract: The issue of inter-hemispheric connectivity is an emerging new area in understanding the pathophysiology of depression. This study was designed to analyse the pattern of inter-hemispheric connectivity in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). The resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RFMRI) was acquired in all enrolled patients and controls. We used a method of voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) to estimate the significant differences in inter-hemispheric connectivity between 44 patients with first-episode medication-naïve MDD and 27 normal controls. The patients and controls were matched for age and gender. The patients with first-episode medication-naïve MDD showed lower VMHC than normal controls in bilateral medial frontal cortex, anterior cingulate and cerebellar posterior lobe. The strength of inter-hemispheric connectivity VMHC value was negatively correlated with clinical severity of MDD. From the results, we suggested that decreased inter-hemispheric connectivity in the anterior sub-network of the default mode network and the cerebellar posterior lobe might represent an emerging finding in the pathophysiology for MDD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Cheng Hsin General Hospital,Taipei City, Taiwan,ROC.
authors.forename: Chien-Han
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences,National Yang-Ming University,Taipei, Taiwan,ROC.
authors.forename: Yu-Te
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012146:Rest; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted