title: Brain structural alterations associated with young women with subthreshold depression.
abstract: Neuroanatomical abnormalities in patients with major depression disorder (MDD) have been attracted great research attention. However, the structural alterations associated with subthreshold depression (StD) remain unclear and, therefore, require further investigation. In this study, 42 young women with StD, and 30 matched non-depressed controls (NCs) were identified based on two-time Beck Depression Inventory scores. Whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and region of interest method were used to investigate altered gray matter volume (GMV) and white matter volume (WMV) among a non-clinical sample of young women with StD. VBM results indicated that young women with StD showed significantly decreased GMV in the right inferior parietal lobule than NCs; increased GMV in the amygdala, posterior cingulate cortex, and precuneus; and increased WMV in the posterior cingulate cortex and precuneus. Together, structural alterations in specific brain regions, which are known to be involved in the fronto-limbic circuits implicated in depression may precede the occurrence of depressive episodes and influence the development of MDD.
authors.affiliation: 1] Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China [2] Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
authors.forename: Haijiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: 1] Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China [2] Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
authors.forename: Dongtao
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: 1] Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China [2] Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
authors.forename: Jiangzhou
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: 1] Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China [2] Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
authors.forename: Qunlin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: 1] Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China [2] Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
authors.forename: Qinglin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 1] Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China [2] Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiu
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D066127:White Matter / Q000473:pathology