title: Olfactory sulcus morphology in patients with current and past major depression.
abstract: Olfactory deficits have been reported in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, it remains largely unknown whether MDD is associated with abnormalities in olfactory sulcus morphology, a potential marker of olfactory system development. This magnetic resonance imaging study investigated the length and depth of the olfactory sulcus in 29 currently depressed patients, 27 remitted depressed patients, and 33 age- and gender-matched healthy control subjects. Both current and remitted MDD patients had significantly shallower olfactory sulci bilaterally as compared with controls. Only for male subjects, the right olfactory sulcus was significantly shorter in remitted MDD patients than in controls. The right sulcus depth was negatively correlated with number of depressive episodes in the entire MDD group and with residual depressive symptoms in the remitted MDD group. Medication status, presence of melancholia, and comorbidity with anxiety disorders did not affect the sulcus morphology. These findings suggest that abnormality of the olfactory sulcus morphology, especially its depth, may be a trait-related marker of vulnerability to major depression.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan. Electronic address: tsutomu@med.u-toyama.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia; Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yücel
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia; ORYGEN Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Whittle
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia; Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lorenzetti
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia; Neuropsychiatry Unit, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walterfang
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Daiki
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sasabayashi
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pantelis
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA.
authors.forename: Nicholas B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Allen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D066194:Olfactory Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Depressive disorder; Magnetic resonance imaging; Olfaction; State factors; Trait factors