First-episode medication-naive major depressive disorder is associated with altered resting brain function in the affective network

Xiaocui Zhang; Xueling Zhu; Xiang Wang; Xiongzhao Zhu; Mingtian Zhong; Jinyao Yi; Hengyi Rao; Shuqiao Yao

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0085241

First-episode medication-naive major depressive disorder is associated with altered resting brain function in the affective network

PLoS One. 2014 Jan 9;9(1):e85241. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085241. eCollection 2014.

Authors

Xiaocui Zhang¹, Xueling Zhu², Xiang Wang², Xiongzhao Zhu², Mingtian Zhong³, Jinyao Yi², Hengyi Rao⁴, Shuqiao Yao²

Affiliations

¹ The Medical Psychological Institute of the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China ; Center for Functional Neuroimaging, Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
² The Medical Psychological Institute of the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
³ School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
⁴ Center for Functional Neuroimaging, Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America ; Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.

Abstract

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been associated with abnormal structure and function of the brain's affective network, including the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). However, it is unclear if alterations of resting-state function in this affective network are present at the initial onset of MDD.

Aims: To examine resting-state function of the brain's affective network in first-episode, medication-naive patients with MDD compared to healthy controls (HCs).

Methods: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was performed on 32 first-episode, medication-naive young adult patients with MDD and 35 matched HCs. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) of the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal and amygdala-seeded functional connectivity (FC) were investigated.

Results: Compared to HC, MDD patients showed reduced ALFF in the bilateral OFC and increased ALFF in the bilateral temporal lobe extending to the insular and left fusiform cortices. Enhanced anti-correlation of activity between the left amygdala seed and the left OFC was found in MDD patients but not in HCs.

Conclusions: Reduced ALFF in the OFC suggests hypo-functioning of emotion regulation in the affective network. Enhanced anti-correlation of activity between the amygdala and OFC may reflect dysfunction of the amygdala-OFC network and additionally represent a pathological process of MDD.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Affective Symptoms / pathology
Affective Symptoms / physiopathology*
Amygdala / pathology
Amygdala / physiopathology*
Brain Mapping
Case-Control Studies
Depressive Disorder, Major / pathology
Depressive Disorder, Major / physiopathology*
Emotions
Female
Frontal Lobe / pathology
Frontal Lobe / physiopathology*
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Oxygen / blood
Rest
Temporal Lobe / pathology
Temporal Lobe / physiopathology*
Young Adult

Substances

Oxygen

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30670709, 81071104 awarded to Shuqiao Yao, Grant No. 30700236 awarded to Xiang Wang, Grant No. 81301211 awarded to Xueling Zhu and Grant No. 31070984 awarded to Hengyi Rao). This work is partly supported by China Scholarship Council. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.