title: Computational meta-analysis of statistical parametric maps in major depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Several neuroimaging meta-analyses have summarized structural brain changes in major depression using coordinate-based methods. These methods might be biased toward brain regions where significant differences were found in the original studies. In this study, a novel voxel-based technique is implemented that estimates and meta-analyses between-group differences in grey matter from individual MRI studies, which are then applied to the study of major depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic review and meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry studies were conducted comparing participants with major depression and healthy controls by using statistical parametric maps. Summary effect sizes were computed correcting for multiple comparisons at the voxel level. Publication bias and heterogeneity were also estimated and the excess of heterogeneity was investigated with metaregression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with major depression were characterized by diffuse bilateral grey matter loss in ventrolateral and ventromedial frontal systems extending into temporal gyri compared to healthy controls. Grey matter reduction was also detected in the right parahippocampal and fusiform gyri, hippocampus, and bilateral thalamus. Other areas included parietal lobes and cerebellum. There was no evidence of statistically significant publication bias or heterogeneity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The novel computational meta-analytic approach used in this study identified extensive grey matter loss in key brain regions implicated in emotion generation and regulation. Results are not biased toward the findings of the original studies because they include all available imaging data, irrespective of statistically significant regions, resulting in enhanced detection of additional areas of grey matter loss.
authors: Centre for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors: Danilo
authors: D
authors: Arnone
authors: Neuroimaging Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors: Dominic
authors: D
authors: Job
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.
authors: Sudhakar
authors: S
authors: Selvaraj
authors: Department of Radiology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Osamu
authors: O
authors: Abe
authors: Trinity College School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Neuroimaging Group, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Amico
authors: Department of Psychiatry, the 1st Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, People's Republic of China.
authors: Yuqi
authors: Y
authors: Cheng
authors: Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
authors: Sean J
authors: SJ
authors: Colloby
authors: Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
authors: John T
authors: JT
authors: O'Brien
authors: Trinity College School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Neuroimaging Group, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.|Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Frodl
authors: Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California.
authors: Ian H
authors: IH
authors: Gotlib
authors: Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Byung-Joo
authors: BJ
authors: Ham
authors: Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.
authors: M Justin
authors: MJ
authors: Kim
authors: Dutch Autism & ADHD Research Center Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors: P Cédric M P
authors: PC
authors: Koolschijn
authors: Disciplinas De Psiquiatria E Psicologia Médica Da Faculdade De Medicina Do ABC Coordenadora Da Enfermaria De Psiquiatria Do Hospital Estadual Mário Covas, San Paolo, Brazil.
authors: Cintia A-M
authors: CA
authors: Périco
authors: Neuroscience Experimental Medicine, Janssen Research & Development, Raritan, New Jersey.
authors: Giacomo
authors: G
authors: Salvadore
authors: Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
authors: Alan J
authors: AJ
authors: Thomas
authors: Neuroimaging Centre, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
authors: Marie-José
authors: MJ
authors: Van Tol
authors: Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition/Psychiatric Neuroimaging, Leiden University and Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
authors: Nic J A
authors: NJ
authors: van der Wee
authors: Department of Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors: Dick J
authors: DJ
authors: Veltman
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany.
authors: Gerd
authors: G
authors: Wagner
authors: Division of Psychiatry, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors: Andrew M
authors: AM
authors: McIntosh
mesh_terms: D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: affective disorders; depression; magnetic resonance imaging; meta-analysis