title: Cortico-limbic network abnormalities in individuals with current and past major depressive disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brain abnormalities in fronto-temporal structures have been implicated in major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aims to identify their anatomical distribution and their relation to the time course of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A whole-brain voxel based morphometry analysis was conducted to assess gray and white matter alterations in 56 participants with a lifetime history of MDD, including currently depressed (cMDD) and remitted patients (rMDD), and 33 matched healthy controls (HC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to HC, MDD participants showed increased white matter volume (WMV) in the uncinate fasciculus (UF) and decreased gray matter density (GMD) on the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). The increased WMV in UF was driven by both cMDD and rMDD groups and positively correlated with depression scores. The GMD decrease in the vmPFC resulted mainly from abnormalities in rMDD and was not correlated with depression scores. Finally, temporal UF and vmPFC white matter showed strong structural covariance suggesting functional interactions between these two brain regions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The retrospective and cross-sectional design of the study limits the generalizability of the results. Information concerning ongoing treatment did not allow the exploration of interactions between medication and observed abnormalities. The duration of the remission period could have influenced abnormalities in the subgroup of remitted patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fronto-temporal alterations in MDD consist of alterations in a cortico-limbic network involving the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and temporal white matter tracts. State-like abnormalities in the UF survive remission and persist as trait-like abnormalities together with alteration in the vmPFC.
authors.affiliation: Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences & Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Australia. Electronic address: paul.klauser@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Klauser
authors.affiliation: Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences & Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Australia.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fornito
authors.affiliation: Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences & Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Australia.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lorenzetti
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Australia; Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Christopher G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Davey
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Australia.
authors.forename: Dominic B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Dwyer
authors.affiliation: Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences & Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Australia.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yücel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008032:Limbic System / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D059906:Neuroimaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D066127:White Matter / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Magnetic resonance imaging; Major depressive disorder; Uncinate fasciculus; Ventromedial prefrontal cortex; Voxel-based morphometry