TY - JOUR
T1 - Structural abnormality of the corticospinal tract in major depressive disorder
AU - Sacchet, Matthew D.
AU - Prasad, Gautam
AU - Foland-Ross, Lara C.
AU - Joshi, Shantanu H.
AU - Hamilton, J. P.
AU - Thompson, Paul M.
AU - Gotlib, Ian H.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Sacchet et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Background: Scientists are beginning to document abnormalities in white matter connectivity in major depressive disorder (MDD). Recent developments in diffusion-weighted image analyses, including tractography clustering methods, may yield improved characterization of these white matter abnormalities in MDD. In this study, we acquired diffusion-weighted imaging data from MDD participants and matched healthy controls. We analyzed these data using two tractography clustering methods: automated fiber quantification (AFQ) and the maximum density path (MDP) procedure. We used AFQ to compare fractional anisotropy (FA; an index of water diffusion) in these two groups across major white matter tracts. Subsequently, we used the MDP procedure to compare FA differences in fiber paths related to the abnormalities in major fiber tracts that were identified using AFQ.Results: FA was higher in the bilateral corticospinal tracts (CSTs) in MDD (p's < 0.002). Secondary analyses using the MDP procedure detected primarily increases in FA in the CST-related fiber paths of the bilateral posterior limbs of the internal capsule, right superior corona radiata, and the left external capsule.Conclusions: This is the first study to implicate the CST and several related fiber pathways in MDD. These findings suggest important new hypotheses regarding the role of CST abnormalities in MDD, including in relation to explicating CST-related abnormalities to depressive symptoms and RDoC domains and constructs.
AB - Background: Scientists are beginning to document abnormalities in white matter connectivity in major depressive disorder (MDD). Recent developments in diffusion-weighted image analyses, including tractography clustering methods, may yield improved characterization of these white matter abnormalities in MDD. In this study, we acquired diffusion-weighted imaging data from MDD participants and matched healthy controls. We analyzed these data using two tractography clustering methods: automated fiber quantification (AFQ) and the maximum density path (MDP) procedure. We used AFQ to compare fractional anisotropy (FA; an index of water diffusion) in these two groups across major white matter tracts. Subsequently, we used the MDP procedure to compare FA differences in fiber paths related to the abnormalities in major fiber tracts that were identified using AFQ.Results: FA was higher in the bilateral corticospinal tracts (CSTs) in MDD (p's < 0.002). Secondary analyses using the MDP procedure detected primarily increases in FA in the CST-related fiber paths of the bilateral posterior limbs of the internal capsule, right superior corona radiata, and the left external capsule.Conclusions: This is the first study to implicate the CST and several related fiber pathways in MDD. These findings suggest important new hypotheses regarding the role of CST abnormalities in MDD, including in relation to explicating CST-related abnormalities to depressive symptoms and RDoC domains and constructs.
KW - Automated fiber quantification (AFQ)
KW - Clustering
KW - Corticospinal tract (CST)
KW - Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
KW - Fractional anisotropy (FA)
KW - Major depressive disorder (MDD)
KW - Maximum density path (MDP)
KW - Tractography
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84920164421&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/2045-5380-4-8
DO - 10.1186/2045-5380-4-8
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84920164421
SN - 2045-5380
VL - 4
JO - Biology of Mood and Anxiety Disorders
JF - Biology of Mood and Anxiety Disorders
IS - 1
M1 - 8
ER -