P 32 Insufficient evidence for structural gray matter alterations in late life minor depression – results from LIFE-adult study

Minor depression is diagnosed when a patient suffers from two to four depressive symptoms for at least two weeks. Though minor depression is a widespread phenomenon, its pathophysiology has hardly been studied. To get a first insight into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this disorder we assessed serum levels of biomarkers for plasticity, glial and neuronal function: brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), S100B and neuron specific enolase (NSE). Twenty-seven subjects with minor depressive episode and 82 healthy subjects over 60 years of age were selected from the database of the Leipzig population-based study of civilization diseases (LIFE). Serum levels of BDNF, S100B and NSE were compared between groups, and correlated with age, body-mass index, and degree of white matter hyperintensities (score on Fazekas scale). S100B was significantly increased in males with minor depression in comparison to healthy males, whereas other biomarkers did not differ between groups (P = 0.10–0.66). NSE correlated with Fazekas score in patients with minor depression (rs = 0.436, P = 0.048) and in the whole sample (rs = 0.252, P = 0.019). S100B correlated with body mass index (rs = 0.246, P = 0.031) and with age in healthy subjects (rs = 0.345, P = 0.002). Increased S100B in males with minor depression, without alterations in BDNF and NSE, supports the glial hypothesis of depression. Correlation between white matter hyperintensities and NSE underscores the vascular hypothesis of late life depression.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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Aberrant topographical organization in gray matter structural network in late life depression: a graph theoretical analysis

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s104161021300149x ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 25 (12) ◽

pp. 1929-1940 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Hyun Kook Lim ◽

Won Sang Jung ◽

Howard J Aizenstein

Keyword(s):

Gray Matter ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Brain Networks ◽

Small World ◽

Late Life ◽

Clustering Coefficient ◽

Cingulate Gyrus ◽

Late Life Depression ◽

Matter Volume ◽

Structural Brain

ABSTRACTBackground:Although previous studies on late life depression (LLD) have shown morphological abnormalities in frontal–striatal–temporal areas, alterations in coordinated patterns of structural brain networks in LLD are still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in gray matter structural brain network between LLD and healthy controls.Methods:We used gray matter volume measurement from magnetic resonance imaging to investigate large-scale structural brain networks in 37 LLD patients and 40 normal controls. Brain networks were constructed by thresholding gray matter volume correlation matrices of 90 regions and analyzed using graph theoretical approaches.Results:Although both LLD and control groups showed a small-world organization of group networks, there were no differences in the clustering coefficient, the path length, and the small-world index across a wide range of network density. Compared with controls, LLD patients showed decreased nodal betweenness in the medial orbitofrontal and angular gyrus regions. In addition, LLD patients showed hub regions in superior temporal gyrus and middle cingulate gyrus, and putamen. On the other hand, the control group showed hub regions in the medial orbitofrontal gyrus, middle cingulate gyrus, and cuneus.Conclusion:Our findings suggest that the gray matter structural networks are not globally but regionally altered in LLD patients. This multivariate structural analysis using graph theory might provide a more appropriate paradigm for understanding complicated neurobiological mechanism of LLD.

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Lower regional gray matter volume in the absence of higher cortical amyloid burden in late-life depression

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-95206-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Akihiro Takamiya ◽

Thomas Vande Casteele ◽

Michel Koole ◽

François-Laurent De Winter ◽

Filip Bouckaert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Episodic Memory ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Memory Function ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Verbal Learning ◽

Late Life ◽

Amyloid Deposition ◽

Elderly Subjects ◽

Late Life Depression ◽

Matter Volume

AbstractLate-life depression (LLD) is associated with a risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the role of AD-pathophysiology in LLD, and its association with clinical symptoms and cognitive function are elusive. In this study, one hundred subjects underwent amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with [18F]-flutemetamol and structural MRI: 48 severely depressed elderly subjects (age 74.1 ± 7.5 years, 33 female) and 52 age-/gender-matched healthy controls (72.4 ± 6.4 years, 37 female). The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) were used to assess the severity of depressive symptoms and episodic memory function respectively. Amyloid deposition was quantified using the standardized uptake value ratio. Whole-brain voxel-wise comparisons of amyloid deposition and gray matter volume (GMV) between LLD and controls were performed. Multivariate analysis of covariance was conducted to investigate the association of regional differences in amyloid deposition and GMV with clinical factors, including GDS and RAVLT. As a result, there were no significant group differences in amyloid deposition. In contrast, LLD showed significant lower GMV in the left temporal and parietal region. GMV reduction in the left temporal region was associated with episodic memory dysfunction, but not with depression severity. Regional GMV reduction was not associated with amyloid deposition. LLD is associated with lower GMV in regions that overlap with AD-pathophysiology, and which are associated with episodic memory function. The lack of corresponding associations with amyloid suggests that lower GMV driven by non-amyloid pathology may play a central role in the neurobiology of LLD presenting as a psychiatric disorder.Trial registration: European Union Drug Regulating Authorities Clinical Trials identifier: EudraCT 2009-018064-95.

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Prevalence of and risk factors for minor and major depression among community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610217000199 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 29 (7) ◽

pp. 1113-1121 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Chi-Shin Wu ◽

Shu-Han Yu ◽

Chun-Yi Lee ◽

Han-Yun Tseng ◽

Yen-Feng Chiu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Social Support ◽

Major Depression ◽

Life Events ◽

Late Life ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Minor Depression ◽

Prevalence Rates ◽

Late Life Depression ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

ABSTRACTBackground:This study was conducted to estimate prevalence rates and risk factors for late-life depression in a large nationwide representative sample from Taiwan.Methods:A total of 5,664, randomly sampled individuals aged ≥55 years were enrolled. Clinically, relevant depressive symptoms were classified using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D score ≥16), and major depression was confirmed using the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders. Individuals with clinically relevant depressive symptoms, who did not meet the strict diagnostic criteria for major depression, were considered to have minor depression. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify risk factors for major and minor depression, including socio-demographic characteristics, medical conditions, lifestyle behaviors, social support network, and life events.Results:The prevalence rates of minor and major depression were 3.7% and 1.5%, respectively. Major depression was associated with personal vulnerability factors, such as poor social support, cognitive impairment, comorbid pain conditions, and sleep disturbance. However, minor depression was more likely to be related to adverse life events, including increased burden on families, changes in health status, or relationship problem. Approximately, 20.0% of individuals with major depression received antidepressant treatment.Conclusions:Late-life depression was less prevalent among community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan than among populations in other countries. Our findings may aid the early detection and treatment of late-life depression and provide a basis for future investigations.

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