Altered effective connectivity among face-processing systems in major depressive disorder.

Background: Neuroimaging studies have revealed abnormal functional interaction during the processing of emotional faces in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), thereby enhancing our comprehension of the pathophysiology of MDD. However, it is unclear whether there is abnormal directional interaction among face-processing systems in patients with MDD.

Methods: A group of patients with MDD and a healthy control group underwent a face-matching task during functional magnetic resonance imaging.