A comparative study of amplitude of low-frequence fluctuation of resting-state fMRI between the younger and older treatment-resistant depression in adults

Jifei Sun; Chunlei Guo; Yue Ma; Zhongming Du; Zhi Wang; Yi Luo; Limei Chen; Deqiang Gao; Xiaojiao Li; Ke Xu; Yang Hong; Xue Yu; Xue Xiao; Jiliang Fang; Yong Liu

doi:10.3389/fnins.2022.949698

A comparative study of amplitude of low-frequence fluctuation of resting-state fMRI between the younger and older treatment-resistant depression in adults

Front Neurosci. 2022 Aug 25:16:949698. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2022.949698. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Jifei Sun¹, Chunlei Guo¹, Yue Ma¹, Zhongming Du², Zhi Wang¹, Yi Luo¹, Limei Chen¹, Deqiang Gao¹, Xiaojiao Li¹, Ke Xu¹, Yang Hong¹, Xue Yu³, Xue Xiao³, Jiliang Fang¹, Yong Liu⁴

Affiliations

¹ Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
² Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
³ Beijing First Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Beijing, China.
⁴ Affiliated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.

Abstract

Background: Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) may have different physiopathological neuromechanism in different age groups. This study used the amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF) to initially compare abnormalities in local functional brain activity in younger and older patients with TRD.

Materials and methods: A total of 21 older TRD patients, 19 younger TRD, 19 older healthy controls (HCs), and 19 younger HCs underwent resting-state functional MRI scans, and the images were analyzed using the ALFF and further analyzed for correlation between abnormal brain regions and clinical symptoms in TRD patients of different age groups.

Results: Compared with the older TRD, the younger TRD group had increased ALFF in the left middle frontal gyrus and decreased ALFF in the left caudate nucleus. Compared with the matched HC group, ALFF was increased in the right middle temporal gyrus and left pallidum in the older TRD group, whereas no significant differences were found in the younger TRD group. In addition, ALFF values in the left middle frontal gyrus in the younger TRD group and in the right middle temporal gyrus in the older TRD were both positively correlated with the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score.

Conclusion: Different neuropathological mechanisms may exist in TRD patients of different ages, especially in the left middle frontal gyrus and left caudate nucleus. This study is beneficial in providing potential key targets for the clinical management of TRD patients of different ages.

Keywords: MRI; age; amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation; major depressive disorder (MDD); treatment-resistant depression (TRD).