Cortical activation for adolescent-onset minor depression and major depressive disorder: an fNIRS study.

Background: While depression is increasing worldwide, some patients are diagnosed as having Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), but others are diagnosed with minor depression, however, the potential neuro mechanism is unknown.

Methods: Sixty-two patients with minor depression, 44 adolescents with MDD and 54 healthy adolescents participated in this study. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), both HAMD and HAMA data were collected from all of the participants.

Psychological characteristics and emotional difficulties underlying school refusal in adolescents using functional near-infrared spectroscopy.

Background: This study aims to explore the psychological characteristics, related emotional problems and potential NIR brain function mechanism of adolescents who refuse to attend school.

Methods: The study included 38 adolescents (12-18 years old) who were not attending school and 35 healthy controls (12-18 years old) who are attending school regularly. Participants completed (1) general demographics, (2) Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), (3) Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), (4) Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and (5) Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90).

Dynamic network characteristics of adolescents with major depressive disorder: Attention network mediates the association between anhedonia and attentional deficit.

Attention deficit is a critical symptom that impairs social functioning in adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD). In this study, we aimed to explore the dynamic neural network activity associated with attention deficits and its relationship with clinical outcomes in adolescents with MDD. We included 188 adolescents with MDD and 94 healthy controls.

Neural association between cognitive function and anhedonia in adolescents with melancholic major depressive disorder: A fNIRS study.

Background: Cognitive dysfunction is common among adolescent patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the pattern and magnitude of cognition impairment in patients during melancholic episodes remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to compare the neurocognitive performance and the underlying cerebral blood flow activation of adolescent patients with melancholic and non-melancholic features.

Add-On Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation Improves the Efficacy of First-Episode and Recurrent Major Depressive Disorder: Real-World Clinical Practice.

Objective: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an effective and evidence-based treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). This retrospective study aimed to explore the efficacy of add-on iTBS treatment in MDD in real-world clinical practice.

Methods: One hundred and fifty-nine inpatients with MDD in a general hospital were included in this study.

Abnormal cortical-striatal-thalamic-cortical circuit centered on the thalamus in MDD patients with somatic symptoms: Evidence from the REST-meta-MDD project.

Objective: Somatic symptoms are common comorbidities of major depressive disorder (MDD), and negatively impact the course and severity of the disease. In order to enrich the understanding of the pathological mechanism and clarify the neurobiological basis of somatic symptoms in depression, we attempted to explore the changes of brain structure and function in a large sample between depression with and without somatic symptoms.

Methods: Structure magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were collected from 342 patients with somatic symptoms (SD), 208 patients without somatic symptoms (NSD), and 510 healthy controls (HCs) based on the REST-meta-MDD project.

A resting state fMRI study of major depressive disorder with and without anxiety.

Background: The neurobiology of the Major depressive disorder (MDD) with anxiety is still unclear. The present study aimed to explore the brain correlates of MDD with and without anxiety in men and women during resting-state fMRI.

Methods: Two hundred and fifty-four patients with MDD (MDD with anxiety, N = 152) and MDD without anxiety, N = 102) and 228 healthy controls (HCs) participated in this study.

Gut Microbiome Composition Linked to Inflammatory Factors and Cognitive Functions in First-Episode, Drug-Naive Major Depressive Disorder Patients.

Objective: The microbiota-gut-brain axis, especially the inflammatory pathway, may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, studies on the microbiota-inflammatory-cognitive function axis in MDD are lacking. The aim of the present study was to analyze the gut microbiota composition and explore the correlation between gut microbiota and inflammatory factors, cognitive function in MDD patients.

Exploring the potential of thyroid hormones to predict clinical improvements in depressive patients: A machine learning analysis of the real-world based study.

Background: Although undergoing antidepressant treatments, many patients continue to struggle with chronic depression episode. Seeking the potential biomarkers and establishing a predictive model of clinical improvements is vital to optimize personalized management of depression. Mounting evidence showed thyroid hormones changes are central to leading paradigms of depression.

Enhanced Functional Connectivity Within Executive Function Network in Remitted or Partially Remitted MDD Patients.

Impaired executive function (EF) is associated with a range of typical clinical characteristics and psychosocial dysfunction in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, because of the lack of objective cognitive tests, inconsistencies in research results, and improvement in patients' subjective experience, few clinicians are concerned with the persistent impairment of EF in euthymia. The study makes a further investigation for EF in remitted and partially remitted MDD patients multiple EF tests and fMRI, so as to explore the executive function of patients in euthymia.

Functional connectivity of the prefrontal cortex and amygdala is related to depression status in major depressive disorder.

Background: We used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine possible amygdala-prefrontal cortex functional connectivity abnormalities and to clarify the correlation of the abnormal connectivity with response to antidepressant medications.

Methods: We recruited 40 drug-naïve patients with first-episode depression, had a 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD17) score>17 for participation in a magnetic resonance imaging scan. Remission was defined as an HRSD17 score <7 following 8 weeks of fluoxetine antidepressant treatment.

Brain structural and functional alterations in MDD patient with gastrointestinal symptoms: A resting-state MRI study.

Objective: It is common for major depressive disorder (MDD) to be accompanied by gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, which are known to negatively impact the course and severity of the disease. Although previous studies have attempted to explore the neuropathology of MDD, few studies have focused on the pathogenesis of GI symptoms in MDD. In this study, we investigated the changes in regional gray matter volume (GMV) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) present in MDD accompanied by GI symptoms.

Alterations of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation in treatment-resistant versus non-treatment-resistant depression patients.

Purpose: We used parcellation based on 264 putative functional areas to explore the difference of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) between refractory depression and non-refractory depression patients.

Patients And Methods: Sixty first episode drug-naive patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 20 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited in this study; the MDD group was divided into a refractory depression (TRD) group (n=15) and a non-refractory depression (non-TRD) group (n=18) according to the treatment effect following up for 2 years. All the subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging scanning and performed the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and all the patients with MDD finished the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD17).

The prognosis and changes of regional brain gray matter volume in MDD with gastrointestinal symptoms.

It is common that major depressive disorder (MDD) is accompanied by gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. However, few studies have focused on the clinical characteristics and its possible mechanism, while brain gray matter (GM) structure is important in the pathogenesis of GI symptoms. In this study, we aimed to investigate the basic clinical characteristics and regional GM volume changes in MDD accompanied by GI symptoms.

Resting-state brain activity in Chinese boys with low functioning autism spectrum disorder.

Background: This study aimed to explore the resting-state fMRI changes in Chinese boys with low functioning autism spectrum disorder (LFASD) and the correlation with clinical symptoms.

Methods: The current study acquired resting-state fMRI data from 15 Chinese boys with LFASD and 15 typically developing (TD) boys to examine the local brain activity using the regional homogeneity (ReHo) and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) indexes; the researchers also examined these measures and their possible relationships with clinical symptoms using the autism behavior checklist.

Results: Results indicated that boys with LFASD exhibited increased ReHo in the right precuneus and inferior parietal gyrus (IPG), increased ALFF in right middle temporal gyrus, angular gyrus and IPG.

Functional connectivity between the thalamus and the primary somatosensory cortex in major depressive disorder: a resting-state fMRI study.

Background: Studies have confirmed that the thalamus and the primary somatosensory cortex (SI) are associated with cognitive function. These two brain regions are closely related in structure and function. The interactions between SI and the thalamus are of crucial significance for the cognitive process.

The Role of Amygdala in Patients With Euthymic Bipolar Disorder During Resting State.

The current study aims to explore the functional changes of the amygdala in patients with euthymic Bipolar Disorder (BD) using resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI). Twenty-one euthymic patients with bipolar disorder and 28 healthy controls participated in this study. Two of the euthymic patients with BD and three of the healthy controls were excluded due to excessive head motion.

Resting-state functional changes in the precuneus within first-episode drug-naive patients with MDD.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading psychiatric disorder that has a lack of biomarkers for a diagnosis.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to examine the structural and functional change in the precuneus within first-episode drug naive patients with MDD.

Methods: Thirty-two first episode drug-naive patients with MDD and thirty healthy controls (HCs) were recruited in this study; the structural MRI and fMRI data were collected using the 3.

Identification of autism-related mutations by whole-exome sequencing and functional validation.

Background: Methyl-CpG-binding protein-2 (MeCP2) is a critical regulator for neural development. Either or leads to severe neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Rett syndrome (RTT) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We set out to screen for mutations in patients of ASD and determine whether these autism-related mutations may compromise the proper function of MeCP2.