Rostral anterior cingulate connectivity in older adults with subthreshold depressive symptoms: A preliminary study.

Subthreshold depressive symptoms are highly prevalent among older adults and are associated with numerous health risks including cognitive decline and decreased physical health. One brain region central to neuroanatomical models of depressive disorders is the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The rostral portion of the ACC-comprised of the pregenual ACC and subgenual ACC-is implicated in emotion control and reward processing.

Subthreshold depressive symptoms relate to cuneus structure: Thickness asymmetry and sex differences.

Despite the prominence of frontolimbic regions in depression research, recent studies also implicate posterior brain regions, including the cuneus. The current study examined the relationship between depressive symptoms and asymmetry in cuneal cortical thickness in healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 81 with primarily subthreshold levels of depressive symptoms. An asymmetry index was calculated for cortical thickness in the cuneus [(left - right) × 100/(left + right)], and regression analyses were conducted with total scores on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale predicting this asymmetry index, controlling for age and sex.

Be Fit, Be Sharp, Be Well: The Case for Exercise as a Treatment for Cognitive Impairment in Late-life Depression.

Objective: To lay out the argument that exercise impacts neurobiological targets common to both mood and cognitive functioning, and thus more research should be conducted on its use as an alternative or adjunctive treatment for cognitive impairment in late-life depression (LLD).

Method: This narrative review summarizes the literature on cognitive impairment in LLD, describes the structural and functional brain changes and neurochemical changes that are linked to both cognitive impairment and mood disruption, and explains how exercise targets these same neurobiological changes and can thus provide an alternative or adjunctive treatment for cognitive impairment in LLD.

Results: Cognitive impairment is common in LLD and predicts recurrence of depression, poor response to antidepressant treatment, and overall disability.

Orbitofrontal and Cingulate Thickness Asymmetry Associated with Depressive Symptom Dimensions.

Both clinical depression and subthreshold depressive symptoms have been associated with alterations in cortical thickness. Studies have yielded conflicting results regarding whether cortical thinning or cortical thickening best characterize the depressive state. Also unclear is whether cortical thickness differences are lateralized.

Depression and Cognitive Control across the Lifespan: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Depression has been shown to negatively impact neurocognitive functions, particularly those governed by fronto-subcortical networks, such as executive functions. Converging evidence suggests that depression-related executive dysfunction is greater at older ages, however, this has not been previously confirmed by meta-analysis. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis, using three-level models, on peer-reviewed studies that examined depression-related differences in cognitive control in healthy community-dwelling individuals of any age.