Cognitive behavioral therapy changes functional connectivity between medial prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices.
Depression is characterized by negative self-cognition. Our previous study (Yoshimura et al. 2014) revealed changes in brain activity after cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression, but changes in functional connectivity were not assessed.



This study included 29 depressive patients and 15 healthy control participants. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging was used to investigate possible CBT-related functional connectivity changes associated with negative emotional self-referential processing. Depressed and healthy participants (overlapping with our previous study, Yoshimura et al. 2014) were included. We defined a seed region (medial prefrontal cortex) and coupled region (ACC) based on our previous study, and we examined changes in MPFC-ACC functional connectivity from pretreatment to posttreatment.



CBT was associated with reduced functional connectivity between the MPFC and ACC. Symptom change with CBT was positively correlated with change in MPFC-ACC functional connectivity.



Patients received pharmacotherapy including antidepressant. The present sample size was quite small and more study is needed. Statistical threshold in fMRI analysis was relatively liberal.



CBT for depression may disrupt MPFC-ACC connectivity, with associated improvements in depressive symptoms and dysfunctional cognition.
Department of Psychology, Otemon Gakuin University, 2-1-15 Nishi-ai, Ibaraki 564-8502, Japan.
Shinpei
S
Yoshimura
Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan.
Yasumasa
Y
Okamoto
College of Contemporary Psychology, Rikkyo University, 1-2-26 Kitano, Niiza 352-0003, Japan.
Miki
M
Matsunaga
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, 89-1 Enyacho, Izumo 693-8501, Japan.
Keiichi
K
Onoda
Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan.
Go
G
Okada
Department of Psychology, Senshu University, 2-1-1 Higashi-mita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki 214-8580, Japan.
Yoshihiko
Y
Kunisato
Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan.
Atsuo
A
Yoshino
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
Kazutaka
K
Ueda
Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-1192, Japan.
Shin-Ichi
SI
Suzuki
Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan.
Shigeto
S
Yamawaki
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
Cognitive behavioral therapy; Depression; FMRI; Functional connectivity; Self