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Abstract
Objectives: Whether hippocampal volume predicts response and/or remission after antidepressant treatment of major depressive episodes (MDE) in major depressive disorder (MDD) remains unclear. We meta-analysed prospective studies comparing baseline hippocampal volume in patients with or without response/remission after antidepressant treatment.
Methods: Pubmed, Embase and Google Scholar were searched for studies of patients with current MDE in MDD, with hippocampal volume assessments at baseline, initiation of antidepressant drug treatment, and prospective assessment of response/remission after treatment.
Results: Six studies (374 patients), of which two were positive and four negative, were meta-analysed. Compared to responders/remitters, patients who failed to achieve response/remission had smaller total hippocampus volumes at baseline (mean volume difference = 260 mm3, 95% CI [93; 427], P = 0.002). These results remained significant in patients under 60 years of age (P = 0.02), in those over 60 years old (P = 0.04), and for right (P = 0.006) and left (P = 0.02) hippocampi. The probability of non-response/non-remission was 68.6% for patients with a total hippocampal volume at least 10% lower than the average, and 47.1% for patients with a total hippocampal volume 10% higher than the average.
Conclusions: In depressed patients treated with antidepressant drugs, smaller hippocampal volumes predict lower response/remission rates.
Acknowledgements
Linguistic revision: Magda Rosinska
Statement of interest
Romain Colle, Marie Chupin, Irène Dupong, Patrick Hardy, Denis Ducreux have no conflicts of interest. Bruno Falissard has been consultant, expert or has given talks for E. Lilly, BMS, Servier, Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, HRA, Roche, Boeringer Ingelheim, Bayer, Almirall, Allergan, Stallergene, Genzyme, Pierre Fabre, Astra Zeneca, Novartis, Janssen, Astellas, Biotronik, Daiichi-Sankyo, Gilead, MSD, Lundbeck. Olivier Colliot received lecture fees from Lundbeck and consulting fees from Guerbet. Emmanuelle Corruble received consulting or conference fees from Astra-Zeneca, Eisai, Lundbeck, Otsuka, Sanofi-Aventis, Servier.