title: Abnormalities in the structural covariance of emotion regulation networks in major depressive disorder.
abstract: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common psychiatric disorder that is characterized by cognitive deficits and affective symptoms. To date, an increasing number of neuroimaging studies have focused on emotion regulation and have consistently shown that emotion dysregulation is one of the central features and underlying mechanisms of MDD. Although gray matter morphological abnormalities in regions within emotion regulation networks have been identified in MDD, the interactions and relationships between these gray matter structures remain largely unknown. Thus, in this study, we adopted a structural covariance method based on gray matter volume to investigate the brain morphological abnormalities within the emotion regulation networks in a large cohort of 65 MDD patients and 65 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. A permutation test with p < 0.05 was used to identify the significant changes in covariance connectivity strengths between MDD patients and healthy controls. The structural covariance analysis revealed an increased correlation strength of gray matter volume between the left angular gyrus and the left amygdala and between the right angular gyrus and the right amygdala, as well as a decreased correlation strength of the gray matter volume between the right angular gyrus and the posterior cingulate cortex in MDD. Our findings support the notion that emotion dysregulation is an underlying mechanism of MDD by revealing disrupted structural covariance patterns in the emotion regulation network.
authors: Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 625014, China; The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, 510370, China.
authors: Huawang
authors: H
authors: Wu
authors: Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Education, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China.
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Sun
authors: School of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
authors: Chao
authors: C
authors: Wang
authors: The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, 510370, China.
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Yu
authors: The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, 510370, China.
authors: Yilan
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, 510370, China.
authors: Hongjun
authors: H
authors: Peng
authors: The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, 510370, China.
authors: Xiaobing
authors: X
authors: Lu
authors: Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
authors: Qingmao
authors: Q
authors: Hu
authors: The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, 510370, China.
authors: Yuping
authors: Y
authors: Ning
authors: Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 625014, China; Brainnetome Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China; National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
authors: Tianzi
authors: T
authors: Jiang
authors: Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China. Electronic address: jp.xu@siat.ac.cn.
authors: Jinping
authors: J
authors: Xu
authors: Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 625014, China. Electronic address: jiaojianwang@uestc.edu.cn.
authors: Jiaojian
authors: J
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009929:Organ Size; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Emotion regulation network; Gray matter volume; Major depressive disorder; Structural covariance; VBM