Profound and reproducible patterns of reduced regional gray matter characterize major depressive disorder.

Reduced gray matter (GM) volume may represent a hallmark of major depressive disorder (MDD) neuropathology, typified by wide-ranging distribution of structural alteration. In the study, we aimed to replicate and extend our previous finding of profound and widespread GM loss in MDD, and evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a structural biomarker derived from GM volume in an interconnected pattern across the brain. In a sub-study of the International Study to Predict Optimized Treatment in Depression (iSPOT-D), two cohorts of clinically defined MDD participants "Test" (n = 98) and "Replication" (n = 131) were assessed alongside healthy controls (n = 66).

Is occipital bending a structural biomarker of risk for depression and sensitivity to treatment?

Occipital bending (OB) describes asymmetry of the occipital lobes where one lobe wraps across the midline, and has been associated with the presence of mood disorders. We evaluated the relationship between OB and major depressive disorder (MDD) in a large population of subjects from the International Study to Predict Optimized Treatment in Depression. MDD patients (n = 231) and healthy controls (n = 68) underwent MRI and neuropsychiatric evaluation, including response or remission to antidepressant medication at baseline and at 8 weeks.

Gender-specific structural abnormalities in major depressive disorder revealed by fixel-based analysis.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic disease with a large global impact. There are currently no clinically useful predictors of treatment outcome, and the development of biomarkers to inform clinical treatment decisions is highly desirable.

Methods: In this exploratory study we performed fixel-based analysis of diffusion MRI data from the International Study to Predict Optimized Treatment in Depression with the aim of identifying novel biomarkers at baseline that may relate to diagnosis and outcome to treatment with antidepressant medications.

Increased hippocampal tail volume predicts depression status and remission to anti-depressant medications in major depression.

Studies of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) have consistently reported reduced hippocampal volumes; however, the exact pattern of these volume changes in specific anatomical subfields and their functional significance is unclear. We sought to clarify the relationship between hippocampal tail volumes and (i) a diagnosis of MDD, and (ii) clinical remission to anti-depressant medications (ADMs). Outpatients with nonpsychotic MDD (n=202) based on DSM-IV criteria and a 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) score ⩾16 underwent pretreatment magnetic resonance imaging as part of the international Study to Predict Optimized Treatment for Depression (iSPOT-D).

Interruption of perivascular sympathetic nerves of cerebral arteries offers neuroprotection against ischemia.

Unlabelled: Sympathetic nervous system activity is increased after cardiopulmonary arrest, resulting in vasoconstrictor release from the perivascular sympathetic nerves of cerebral arteries. However, the pathophysiological function of the perivascular sympathetic nerves in the ischemic brain remains unclear. A rat model of global cerebral ischemia (asphyxial cardiac arrest, ACA) was used to investigate perivascular sympathetic nerves of cerebral arteries via bilateral decentralization (preganglionic lesion) of the superior cervical ganglion (SCG).