Resting-state functional changes in the precuneus within first-episode drug-naive patients with MDD

Abstract

Background

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading psychiatric disorder that has a lack of biomarkers for a diagnosis.

Purpose

The objective of this study was to examine the structural and functional change in the precuneus within first-episode drug naive patients with MDD.

Methods

Thirty-two first episode drug-naive patients with MDD and thirty healthy controls (HCs) were recruited in this study; the structural MRI and fMRI data were collected using the 3.0 T Trio Siemens System. All the patients were interviewed using the HAMD-17.

Results

The difference between gray matter volume within the two groups was not observed. Results indicated that the low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), fractional ALFF (fALFF) and regional homogeneity values of the precuneus within first-episode drug-naive patients with MDD were lower than the HCs. In addition, the fALFF value of the MDD was negatively and statistically significantly correlated with the HAMD-17 total score (P<0.05).

Conclusion

The current study found abnormal activity of the precuneus at resting state in first-episode drug-naive patients with MDD, indicating that activity within the precuneus may be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of MDD.

Keywords:

• major depressive disorder
• resting-state fMRI
• precuneus

Acknowledgments

We thank all the volunteers who participated in this study. This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No 81471379). This study is also funded by the Postdoctoral Foundation of Shanxi Medical University, Doctoral Foundation of Shanxi Medical University and Doctoral Foundation of Shanxi Province.

Author contributions

GL and KZ designed the study. GL analyzed the MRI data and wrote this manuscript. KZ was funded by the foundation. AZ and PL collected the MRI and clinical data. KR revised the manuscript. All authors contributed toward data analysis, drafting and revising the paper and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.