title: Causal connectivity alterations of cortical-subcortical circuit anchored on reduced hemodynamic response brain regions in first-episode drug-naïve major depressive disorder.
abstract: Some efforts were done to investigate the disruption of brain causal connectivity networks involved in major depressive disorder (MDD) using Granger causality (GC) analysis. However, the homogenous hemodynamic response function (HRF) assumption over the brain may disturb the inference of temporal precedence. Here we applied a blind deconvolution approach to examine the altered HRF shape in first-episode, drug-naïve MDD patients. The regions with abnormal HRF shape in patients were chosen as seeds to detect the GC alterations in MDD. The results demonstrated significantly decreased magnitude of spontaneous hemodynamic response of the orbital frontal cortex (OFC) and the caudate nucleus (CAU) in MDD comparing to healthy controls, suggesting MDD patients likely had alterations in neurovascular coupling and cerebrovascular physiology in these two regions. GC mapping showed increased/decreased GC in OFC-/CAU centered networks in MDD. The outgoing GC values from OFC to anterior cingulate cortex and occipital regions were positively correlated with Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) scores, while the incoming GC from insula, middle and superior temporal gyrus to CAU were negatively correlated with HAMD scores of MDD. The abnormalities of directional connections in the cortico-subcortico-cerebellar network may lead to unbalanced integrating the emotional-related information for MDD, and further exacerbating depressive symptoms.
authors.affiliation: School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Neurobiological laboratory, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center of Chengdu, Chengdu, 610016, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zongling
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xueli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Center for Information in BioMedicine,Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Huafu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult