A comparison of structural connectivity in anxious depression versus non-anxious depression.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorders are highly co-morbid. Research has shown conflicting evidence for white matter alteration and amygdala volume reduction in mood and anxiety disorders. To date, no studies have examined differences in structural connectivity between anxious depressed and non-anxious depressed individuals. This study compared fractional anisotropy (FA) and density of selected white matter tracts and amygdala volume between anxious depressed and non-anxious depressed individuals.



64- direction DTI and T1 scans were collected from 110 unmedicated subjects with MDD, 39 of whom had a co-morbid anxiety disorder diagnosis. Region of interest (ROI) and tractography methods were performed to calculate amygdala volume and FA in the uncinate fasciculus, respectively. Diffusion connectometry was performed to identify whole brain group differences in white matter health. Correlations were computed between biological and clinical measures.



Tractography and ROI analyses showed no significant differences between bilateral FA values or bilateral amygdala volumes when comparing the anxious depressed and non-anxious depressed groups. The diffusion connectometry analysis showed no significant differences in anisotropy between the groups. Furthermore, there were no significant relationships between MRI-based and clinical measures.



The lack of group differences could indicate that structural connectivity and amygdalae volumes of those with anxious-depression are not significantly altered by a co-morbid anxiety disorder. Improving understanding of anxiety co-morbid with MDD would facilitate development of treatments that more accurately target the underlying networks.
Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA. Electronic address: Lauren.Delaparte@stonybrook.edu.
Lauren
L
Delaparte
Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA.
Fang-Cheng
FC
Yeh
Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
Phil
P
Adams
Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
Ashley
A
Malchow
Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
Madhukar H
MH
Trivedi
Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
Maria A
MA
Oquendo
Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Thilo
T
Deckersbach
Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
Todd
T
Ogden
Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School - McLean Hospital, USA.
Diego A
DA
Pizzagalli
Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Maurizio
M
Fava
Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
Crystal
C
Cooper
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Melvin
M
McInnis
Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
Benji T
BT
Kurian
Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
Myrna M
MM
Weissman
Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
Patrick J
PJ
McGrath
Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
Daniel N
DN
Klein
Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA; Department of Radiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
Ramin V
RV
Parsey
Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
Christine
C
DeLorenzo
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016880:Anisotropy; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000178:diet therapy*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D063132:Connectome; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
Anxiety; Anxious-depression; Depression; Diffusion tensor imaging; Fractional anisotropy; White matter health