Objectives: Several magnetic resonance imaging studies have found changes in amygdala volumes in adults with mood disorders. The cellular basis for these changes has not been explored in detail. Specifically, it is not known whether differences in the density and/or volume of neurons or glial cells contribute to tissue volume changes seen on magnetic resonance images.

Methods: Postmortem amygdala samples were obtained from the Stanley Foundation Neuropathology Consortium from subjects diagnosed with bipolar disorder (n = 10), major depressive disorder (n = 11), and schizophrenia (n = 9), and from normal controls (n = 14). Samples were first stained with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and counter-stained with hematoxylin to ascertain neuron and glia (astrocyte) densities.

Results: No significant differences in neuronal densities were found between groups. However, a reduction in the density of GFAP immunoreactive astrocytes was observed in the amygdala of subjects with major depressive disorder compared to the bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and normal control postmortem samples.

Conclusions: A decrease in density of GFAP immunoreactive astrocytes in the amygdala of depressed subjects is consistent with prior histologic reports and might contribute to amygdala volume reductions reported in several in vivo neuroimaging studies.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-5618.2010.00838.xDOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

major depressive
12
depressive disorder
12
bipolar disorder
12
subjects major
8
magnetic resonance
8
disorder schizophrenia
8
schizophrenia normal
8
density gfap
8
gfap immunoreactive
8
immunoreactive astrocytes
8

Similar Publications

Background: University students are more likely to experience mental disorders. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among health and non-health university students at King Khalid University students, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: An anonymous validated short form of Arabic questionnaire of the depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21) survey was distributed online on social media platforms and through face-to-face interview for 1700 students from March 1st to May 31st 2024.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The current DSM-oriented diagnostic paradigm has introduced the issue of heterogeneity, as it fails to account for the identification of the neurological processes underlying mental illnesses, which affects the precision of treatment. The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework serves as a recognized approach to addressing this heterogeneity, and several assessment and translation techniques have been proposed. Among these methods, transforming RDoC scores from electronic medical records (EMR) using Natural Language Processing (NLP) has emerged as a suitable technique, demonstrating clinical effectiveness.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Symptom-based depression subtypes: brain dynamic specificity and its association with gene expression profiles.

Transl Psychiatry

January 2025

Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Nanshan People's Hospital, Taoyuan AVE 89, Nanshan district, Shenzhen, 518000, People's Republic of China.

At least 227 combinations of symptoms meet the criteria for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). However, in clinical practice, patients consistently present symptoms in a regular rather than random manner, and the neural basis underlying the MDD subtypes remains unclear. To help clarify the neural basis, patients with MDD were clustered by symptom combinations to investigate the neural underpinning of each subtype using functional resonance imaging (fMRI).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Predicting disease trajectories in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) can allow designing personalized therapeutic strategies. In this study, we aimed to show that measuring patients' plasticity - that is the susceptibility to modify the mental state - identifies at baseline who will recover, anticipating the time to transition to wellbeing. We conducted a secondary analysis in two randomized clinical trials, STAR*D and CO-MED.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Diabetes-related foot ulcer (DFU) is the leading cause for lower extremity amputations (LEAs) in western countries, and may cause social isolation, depression, and death. However, people with DFU are not offered the same prioritized care as cancer patients, despite comparable mortality rates. We therefore decided to create a clinical pathway for patients with DFU.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!