Hippocampus shape analysis and late-life depression.
Abstract
Major depression in the elderly is associated with brain structural changes and vascular
lesions. Changes in the subcortical regions of the limbic system have also been noted.
Studies examining hippocampus volumetric differences in depression have shown variable
results, possibly due to any volume differences being secondary to local shape changes
rather than differences in the overall volume. Shape analysis offers the potential
to detect such changes. The present study applied spherical harmonic (SPHARM) shape
analysis to the left and right hippocampi of 61 elderly subjects with major depression
and 43 non-depressed elderly subjects. Statistical models controlling for age, sex,
and total cerebral volume showed a significant reduction in depressed compared with
control subjects in the left hippocampus (F(1,103) = 5.26; p = 0.0240) but not right
hippocampus volume (F(1,103) = 0.41; p = 0.5213). Shape analysis showed significant
differences in the mid-body of the left (but not the right) hippocampus between depressed
and controls. When the depressed group was dichotomized into those whose depression
was remitted at time of imaging and those who were unremitted, the shape comparison
showed remitted subjects to be indistinguishable from controls (both sides) while
the unremitted subjects differed in the midbody and the lateral side near the head.
Hippocampal volume showed no difference between controls and remitted subjects but
nonremitted subjects had significantly smaller left hippocampal volumes with no significant
group differences in the right hippocampus. These findings may provide support to
other reports of neurogenic effects of antidepressants and their relation to successful
treatment for depressive symptoms.
Type
Journal articlePermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/4485Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1371/journal.pone.0001837Publication Info
Zhao, Zheen; Taylor, Warren D; Styner, Martin; Steffens, David C; Krishnan, K Ranga
R; & MacFall, James R (2008). Hippocampus shape analysis and late-life depression. PLoS One, 3(3). pp. e1837. 10.1371/journal.pone.0001837. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/4485.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
Collections
More Info
Show full item recordScholars@Duke
K. Ranga Rama Krishnan
Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
I have validated in vivo methods of estimating volumes of subcortical structures utilizing
MRI and sterology. These studies have suggested that depressed patients have smaller
caudate, smaller putamen, altered water balance in the hippocampus, a smaller medulla
and cerebellar vermis, and enlarged ventricles. Our group has demonstrated that late-life
depression patients have increased MRI lesions in the fronto-parietal white matter
and subcortical gray; and, have lesions in the caudate inc
James R. MacFall
Adjunct Professor in the Department of Radiology
My research centers on application and/or development of image processing and magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) techniques for a variety of biomedical focus areas in Psychiatry,
Oncology, Lung Disorders and Pediatric Neurological Disorders:Psychiatry: Research
is focused on improving automated methods of brain tissue identification and volume
measurement using magnetic resonance images in the context of a study of depression
in aging. Similar work is ongoing in b
David Carl Steffens
Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Geriatric Affective Disorders Geriatric Cognitive
Disorders Alzheimer's Disease
ECT
Alphabetical list of authors with Scholars@Duke profiles.

Articles written by Duke faculty are made available through the campus open access policy. For more information see: Duke Open Access Policy
Rights for Collection: Scholarly Articles
Works are deposited here by their authors, and represent their research and opinions, not that of Duke University. Some materials and descriptions may include offensive content. More info