title: Surface vulnerability of cerebral cortex to major depressive disorder.
abstract: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is accompanied by atypical brain structure. This study first presents the alterations in the cortical surface of patients with MDD using multidimensional structural patterns that reflect different neurodevelopment. Sixteen first-episode, untreated patients with MDD and 16 matched healthy controls underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. The cortical maps of thickness, surface area, and gyrification were examined using the surface-based morphometry (SBM) approach. Increase of cortical thickness was observed in the right posterior cingulate region and the parietal cortex involving the bilateral inferior, left superior parietal and right paracentral regions, while decreased thickness was noted in the parietal cortex including bilateral pars opercularis and left precentral region, as well as the left rostral-middle frontal regions in patients with MDD. Likewise, increased or decreased surface area was found in five sub-regions of the cingulate gyrus, parietal and frontal cortices (e.g., bilateral inferior parietal and superior frontal regions). In addition, MDD patients exhibited a significant hypergyrification in the right precentral and supramarginal region. This integrated structural assessment of cortical surface suggests that MDD patients have cortical alterations of the frontal, parietal and cingulate regions, indicating a vulnerability to MDD during earlier neurodevelopmental process.
authors: Division of Mood Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors: Daihui
authors: D
authors: Peng
authors: Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors: Feng
authors: F
authors: Shi
authors: Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors: Gang
authors: G
authors: Li
authors: Suicide Research and Prevention Center, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America.
authors: Drew
authors: D
authors: Fralick
authors: Division of Mood Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors: Ting
authors: T
authors: Shen
authors: Division of Mood Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors: Meihui
authors: M
authors: Qiu
authors: The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Liu
authors: Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors: Kaida
authors: K
authors: Jiang
authors: Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America; Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Dinggang
authors: D
authors: Shen
authors: Division of Mood Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors: Yiru
authors: Y
authors: Fang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged