First-Episode Patients Report Cognitive Difficulties in Executive Functioning 1 Year After Initial Episode of Major Depressive Disorder

Objective: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is associated with cognitive impairment in general, and Executive Functioning (EF) in particular, even in remitted phase of the disorder, suggesting residual cognitive symptoms. The aim of the present study was to investigate self-reported EF 1 year after the first episode of MDD and to explore this in relation to depressive mood symptoms, remission and relapse.Method: The study included data from 24 patients and 23 healthy control subjects 1 year after the patients' initial first episode of MDD. All participants completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning-Adult version (BRIEF-A), a standardized self-report measure of perceived EF in everyday life, measuring nine different EF. Total index scores for metacognitive functions, behavior/emotional regulation functions and a global EF score is also calculated.Results: The patient group in total, independent of symptom status, reported significantly lower EF in all indexes compared to the healthy controls 1 year after the initial episode. However, higher depressive mood symptom load correlated with self-reported difficulties in metacognitive functions and poor global EF scores. Regulatory control of behavior and emotional responses did not show such strong association with mood symptoms, but low self-report scores on this measure was associated with relapse during the first year after the initial episode.Conclusion: First-episode patients report significant lower executive functioning in everyday life compared to individually matched healthy controls, 1 year after onset, independent of symptom load. Residual cognitive symptoms seem to be evident and associated with risk of relapse and should be targeted in treatment and prevention of recurrence in MDD.

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Plasma glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor in patients with major depressive disorder: a preliminary study

Acta Neuropsychiatrica ◽

10.1017/neu.2015.42 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 45-50 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Bun-Hee Lee ◽

Jin-Pyo Hong ◽

Jung-A Hwang ◽

Kyoung-Sae Na ◽

Won-Joong Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Cell Line ◽

Glial Cell ◽

Neurotrophic Factor ◽

Recurrent Episode ◽

First Episode ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Major Depressive ◽

Before And After

BackgroundSome clinical studies have reported reduced peripheral glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) level in elderly patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). We verified whether a reduction in plasma GDNF level was associated with MDD.MethodPlasma GDNF level was measured in 23 healthy control subjects and 23 MDD patients before and after 6 weeks of treatment.ResultsPlasma GDNF level in MDD patients at baseline did not differ from that in healthy controls. Plasma GDNF in MDD patients did not differ significantly from baseline to the end of treatment. GDNF level was significantly lower in recurrent-episode MDD patients than in first-episode patients before and after treatment.ConclusionsOur findings revealed significantly lower plasma GDNF level in recurrent-episode MDD patients, although plasma GDNF levels in MDD patients and healthy controls did not differ significantly. The discrepancy between our study and previous studies might arise from differences in the recurrence of depression or the ages of the MDD patients.

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A population-based morphometric MRI study in patients with first-episode psychotic bipolar disorder: comparison with geographically matched healthy controls and major depressive disorder subjects

Bipolar Disorders ◽

10.1111/j.1399-5618.2011.00896.x ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 28-40 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Cintia de Azevedo-Marques Périco ◽

Fabio L S Duran ◽

Marcus V Zanetti ◽

Luciana C Santos ◽

Robin M Murray ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bipolar Disorder ◽

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Population Based ◽

First Episode ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Major Depressive ◽

Mri Study ◽

Psychotic Bipolar Disorder

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Is liability to recurrent major depressive disorder present before first episode onset in adolescence or acquired after the initial episode?

Journal of Abnormal Psychology ◽

10.1037/a0032655 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 122 (2) ◽

pp. 353-358 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Jeremy W. Pettit ◽

Chelsey Hartley ◽

Peter M. Lewinsohn ◽

John R. Seeley ◽

Daniel N. Klein

Keyword(s):

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

First Episode ◽

Major Depressive ◽

Initial Episode ◽

Recurrent Major Depressive Disorder

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Abnormalities in Electroencephalographic Microstates Among Adolescents With First Episode Major Depressive Disorder

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.775156 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Yuqiong He ◽

Qianting Yu ◽

Tingyu Yang ◽

Yaru Zhang ◽

Kun Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Depression Scale ◽

First Episode ◽

Hamilton Depression Scale ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Major Depressive ◽

Hamd Score ◽

Eeg Changes ◽

Microstate Analysis

Background: Recent studies have reported changes in the electroencephalograms (EEG) of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, little research has explored EEG differences between adolescents with MDD and healthy controls, particularly EEG microstates differences. The aim of the current study was to characterize EEG microstate activity in adolescents with MDD and healthy controls (HCs).Methods: A total of 35 adolescents with MDD and 35 HCs were recruited in this study. The depressive symptoms were assessed by Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), and the anxiety symptoms were assessed by Chinese version of DSM-5 Level 2-Anxiety-Child scale. A 64-channel EEG was recorded for 5 min (eye closed, resting-state) and analyzed using microstate analysis. Microstate properties were compared between groups and correlated with patients' depression scores.Results: We found increased occurrence and contribution of microstate B in MDD patients compared to HCs, and decreased occurrence and contribution of microstate D in MDD patients compared to HCs. While no significant correlation between depression severity (HAMD score) and the microstate metrics (occurrence and contribution of microstate B and D) differing between MDD adolescents and HCs was found.Conclusions: Adolescents with MDD showed microstate B and microstate D changes. The obtained results may deepen our understanding of dynamic EEG changes among adolescents with MDD and provide some evidence of changes in brain development in adolescents with MDD.

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Cornu Ammonis Changes Are at the Core of Hippocampal Pathology in Depression

Chronic Stress ◽

10.1177/2470547019849376 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. 247054701984937 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Darren Roddy ◽

Veronica O’Keane

Keyword(s):

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Disease Process ◽

First Episode ◽

Biol Psychiatry ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Major Depressive ◽

The Core ◽

Output Circuit ◽

Cornu Ammonis

Commentary on: Roddy DW, Farrell C, Doolin K, Roman E, Tozzi L, Frodl T, O'Keane V, O'Hanlon E. The Hippocampus in Depression: More Than the Sum of Its Parts? Advanced Hippocampal Substructure Segmentation in Depression. Biol Psychiatry. 2019 Mar 15;85(6):487-497. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.08.021. Epub 2018 Sep 6. PubMed PMID: 30528746. The hippocampus is a key cognitive hub implicated in major depressive disorder. However, major depressive disorder neuroimaging studies have used inconsistent anatomical hippocampal definitions to estimate hippocampal volumes, leading to some heterogeneity in findings. In a recent paper, we used a novel reassembly of automated hippocampal substructures (composites) to build alternative anatomical hippocampal definitions and used these to investigate differences in a well-defined cohort of major depressive disorder patients and healthy controls. We found that the most significant differences between major depressive disorder and healthy controls were localized to the core cornu ammonis (CA) regions of the hippocampus. The CA2–4 regions were smaller in first episode major depressive disorder, whereas more widespread differences were found in recurrent/chronic major depressive disorder, suggestive of a potential disease process in major depressive disorder. In this commentary, we also show how new hippocampal composites to investigate sections of the hippocampal circuitry demonstrate that differences in major depressive disorder occur across the input, middle and output circuit nodes of the hippocampal core. Hippocampal pathology localized across the core hippocampal CA circuity may account for the diverse and wide-ranging symptoms often experienced in depression.

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Severe sleep disturbance is associated with executive function impairment in patients with first-episode, treatment-naïve major depressive disorders

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12888-021-03194-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Feihuan Cui ◽

Qi Liu ◽

Xiaozhen Lv ◽

Rainer Leonhart ◽

Hongjun Tian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Executive Functioning ◽

Sleep Disturbance ◽

Depressive Disorders ◽

First Episode ◽

Odds Ratios ◽

Major Depressive ◽

Function Impairment ◽

Treatment Naïve ◽

Executive Function Impairment

Abstract Background Sleep disturbance and executive function impairment are common in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), though the relationship between the two remains unclear. We investigated this association in first-episode, treatment-naïve patients with MDD. Methods We analyzed data from 242 patients with MDD. We divided the patients into 2 groups based on sleep disturbance severity and compared the executive function odds ratios between the groups. Results A total of 121 pairs of patients were matched (age 39.4 ± 10.1, 70.2% female). After propensity score matching, the odds ratios for cognitive impairment in patients with MDD and severe sleep disturbance were 1.922 (1.068–3.459, P = 0.029, q = 0.044) in executive functioning; 2.023 (1.211–3.379, P = 0.007, q = 0.021) in executive shifting. Conclusions Sleep disturbance is associated with executive functioning impairment in first-episode, treatment-naïve patients with MDD. Severe sleep disturbance can be a marker and aid in recognizing executive function impairment in patients with first-episode treatment-naïve MDD. Severe sleep disturbance can be a potential modifiable factor to improve executive function in MDD, as well as an effective measurement to improve cognition for sleep symptom management that should be enforced at initial treatment of first-episode MDD. Further study is required to confirm our results. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02023567; registration date: December 2013.

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Local dynamic spontaneous brain activity changes in first-episode, treatment-naïve patients with major depressive disorder and their associated gene expression profiles

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291720003876 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Kaizhong Xue ◽

Sixiang Liang ◽

Bingbing Yang ◽

Dan Zhu ◽

Yingying Xie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Brain Activity ◽

Expression Profiles ◽

Gene Expression Profiles ◽

First Episode ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Major Depressive ◽

Spontaneous Brain Activity ◽

Treatment Naïve ◽

Gene Modules

Abstract Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common debilitating disorder characterized by impaired spontaneous brain activity, yet little is known about its alterations in dynamic properties and the molecular mechanisms associated with these changes. Methods Based on the resting-state functional MRI data of 65 first-episode, treatment-naïve patients with MDD and 66 healthy controls, we compared dynamic regional homogeneity (dReHo) of spontaneous brain activity between the two groups, and we investigated gene expression profiles associated with dReHo alterations in MDD by leveraging transcriptional data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas and weighted gene co-expression network analysis. Results Compared with healthy controls, patients with MDD consistently showed reduced dReHo in both fusiform gyri and in the right temporal pole and hippocampus. The expression profiles of 16 gene modules were correlated with dReHo alterations in MDD. These gene modules were enriched for various biological process terms, including immune, synaptic signalling, ion channels, mitochondrial function and protein metabolism, and were preferentially expressed in different cell types. Conclusions Patients with MDD have reduced dReHo in brain areas associated with emotional and cognitive regulation, and these changes may be related to complex polygenetic and polypathway mechanisms.

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Abnormal Fractional Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuation as a Potential Imaging Biomarker for First-Episode Major Depressive Disorder: A Resting-State fMRI Study and Support Vector Machine Analysis

Frontiers in Neurology ◽

10.3389/fneur.2021.751400 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Yujun Gao ◽

Xi Wang ◽

Zhenying Xiong ◽

Hongwei Ren ◽

Ruoshi Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Support Vector Machine ◽

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Resting State ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Diagnostic Value ◽

First Episode ◽

Support Vector ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Major Depressive ◽

The Right

Objective: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a psychiatric disorder with serious negative health outcomes; however, there is no reliable method of diagnosis. This study explored the clinical diagnostic value of the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) based on the support vector machine (SVM) method for the diagnosis of MDD.Methods: A total of 198 first-episode MDD patients and 234 healthy controls were involved in this study, and all participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. Imaging data were analyzed with the fALFF and SVM methods.Results: Compared with the healthy controls, the first-episode MDD patients showed higher fALFF in the left mid cingulum, right precuneus, and left superior frontal gyrus (SFG). The increased fALFF in these three brain regions was positively correlated with the executive control reaction time (ECRT), and the increased fALFF in the left mid cingulum and left SFG was positively correlated with the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD-17) scores. The SVM results showed that increased fALFF in the left mid cingulum, right precuneus, and left SFG exhibited high diagnostic accuracy of 72.92% (315/432), 71.76% (310/432), and 73.84% (319/432), respectively. The highest diagnostic accuracy of 76.39% (330/432) was demonstrated for the combination of increased fALFF in the right precuneus and left SFG, along with a sensitivity of 84.34% (167/198), and a specificity of 70.51% (165/234).Conclusion: Increased fALFF in the left mid cingulum, right precuneus, and left SFG may serve as a neuroimaging marker for first-episode MDD. The use of the increased fALFF in the right precuneus and left SFG in combination showed the best diagnostic value.

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Associations Between Self-Report of Emotional State and the EEG Patterns in Affective Disorders Patients

Journal of Psychophysiology ◽

10.1027/0269-8803/a000004 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 33-40 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Miroslaw Wyczesany ◽

Jan Kaiser ◽

Anton M. L. Coenen

Keyword(s):

State Energy ◽

Emotional State ◽

Spectral Power ◽

Bipolar Affective Disorder ◽

Affective State ◽

Manic Episode ◽

High Energy ◽

Self Report ◽

Major Depressive ◽

High Tension

The study determines the associations between self-report of ongoing emotional state and EEG patterns. A group of 31 hospitalized patients were enrolled with three types of diagnosis: major depressive disorder, manic episode of bipolar affective disorder, and nonaffective patients. The Thayer ADACL checklist, which yields two subjective dimensions, was used for the assessment of affective state: Energy Tiredness (ET) and Tension Calmness (TC). Quantitative analysis of EEG was based on EEG spectral power and laterality coefficient (LC). Only the ET scale showed relationships with the laterality coefficient. The high-energy group showed right shift of activity in frontocentral and posterior areas visible in alpha and beta range, respectively. No effect of ET estimation on prefrontal asymmetry was observed. For the TC scale, an estimation of high tension was related to right prefrontal dominance and right posterior activation in beta1 band. Also, decrease of alpha2 power together with increase of beta2 power was observed over the entire scalp.

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