Increased prefrontal cortex connectivity associated with depression vulnerability and relapse

Zhu-Qing Zhang; Ming-Hao Yang; Zhi-Peng Guo; Dan Liao; Peter Sörös; Meng Li; Martin Walter; Lihong Wang; Chun-Hong Liu

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2022.02.059

Increased prefrontal cortex connectivity associated with depression vulnerability and relapse

J Affect Disord. 2022 May 1:304:133-141. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.02.059. Epub 2022 Feb 24.

Authors

Zhu-Qing Zhang¹, Ming-Hao Yang¹, Zhi-Peng Guo¹, Dan Liao¹, Peter Sörös², Meng Li³, Martin Walter⁴, Lihong Wang⁵, Chun-Hong Liu⁶

Affiliations

¹ Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100010, China; Beijing Institute of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100010, China.
² Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg 26129, Germany.
³ Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory (CANLAB), Magdeburg 39120, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72074, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Jena, Philosophenweg 3, 07743 Jena, Germany.
⁴ Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory (CANLAB), Magdeburg 39120, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72074, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg 39118, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Jena, Philosophenweg 3, 07743 Jena, Germany.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA. Electronic address: lwang@uchc.edu.
⁶ Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100010, China; Beijing Institute of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100010, China. Electronic address: liuchunhong@bjzhongyi.com.

PMID: 35219743
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.02.059

Abstract

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent mood disorder, characterized by depressed mood, reduced capabilities to concentrate, impaired cognition, as well as a high risk of relapse. Unaffected siblings who have high risks for MDD development and yet without clinical symptoms may be helpful for understanding the neural mechanisms of MDD traits.

Methods: We investigated both regional fluctuation and inter-regional synchronization in 31 fully remitted MDD patients, 29 unaffected siblings and 43 age, gender, and educational level matched helathy controls (HCs) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). The 17-item HAMD and neurocognitive scales were performed. Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) and functional connectivity (FC) strength were investigated.

Results: Compared with healthy control group, patients with remitted MDD and unaffected siblings showed increased fALFF in the left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and increased FC between the left dmPFC and the right ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). In addition, a negative correlation was observed between the fALFF value in the left dmPFC and the speed of Trail Making Test in the remitted MDD patients. Higher vmPFC-dmPFC FC was positively correlated with Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) total correct, and negatively correlated with WCST random errors.

Conclusions: In the absence of clinical symptoms, individuals with remitted MDD and unaffected siblings showed increased fALFF in left dmPFC as well as the vmPFC-dmPFC connectivity. These results suggest a specific trait abnormality in the default mode network associated with vulnerability to MDD, which may have implications for developing effective therapies using this network as a target.

Keywords: Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation; Functional connectivity; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Major depressive disorder; Resting-state.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Brain
Depression
Depressive Disorder, Major*
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
Prefrontal Cortex / diagnostic imaging
Recurrence