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Sub-regional anterior cingulate cortex functional connectivity revealed default network subsystem dysfunction in patients with major depressive disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2020

Xiaolong Peng Open the ORCID record for Xiaolong Peng [Opens in a new window] ,
Xiaoping Wu ,
Ruxue Gong ,
Rui Yang ,
Xiang Wang ,
Wenzhen Zhu  and
Pan Lin Open the ORCID record for Pan Lin [Opens in a new window]
Xiaolong Peng
Affiliation:
Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA
Xiaoping Wu
Affiliation:
Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Xi'an Central Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
Ruxue Gong
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
Rui Yang
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Xi'an Central Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
Xiang Wang
Affiliation:
Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
Wenzhen Zhu*
Affiliation:
Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Pan Lin*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
*
Author for correspondence: Pan Lin, E-mail: tiger.lin9906@gmail.com; Wenzhen Zhu, E-mail: zhuwenzhen8612@163.com
Author for correspondence: Pan Lin, E-mail: tiger.lin9906@gmail.com; Wenzhen Zhu, E-mail: zhuwenzhen8612@163.com
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Abstract

Background

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent mental disorder characterized by impairments in affect, behaviour and cognition. Previous studies have indicated that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) may play an essential role in the pathophysiology of depression. In this study, we systematically identified changes in functional connectivity (FC) for ACC subdivisions that manifest in MDD and further investigated the relationship between these changes and the clinical symptoms of depression.

Methods

Sub-regional ACC FC was estimated in 41 first-episode medication-naïve MDD patients compared to 43 healthy controls. The relationships between depressive symptom severity and aberrant FC of ACC subdivisions were investigated. In addition, we conducted a meta-analysis to generate the distributions of MDD-related abnormal regions from previously reported results and compared them to FC deficits revealed in this study.

Results

In MDD patients, the subgenual and perigenual ACC demonstrated decreased FC with the posterior regions of the default network (DN), including the posterior inferior parietal lobule and posterior cingulate cortex. FC of these regions was negatively associated with the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire scores and largely overlapped with previously reported abnormal regions. In addition, reduced FC between the caudal ACC and precuneus was negatively correlated with the Hamilton Anxiety Scale scores. We also found increased FC between the rostral ACC and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex.

Conclusions

Our findings confirmed that functional interaction changes in different ACC sub-regions are specific and associated with distinct symptoms of depression. Our findings provide new insights into the role of ACC sub-regions and DN in the pathophysiology of MDD.

Keywords

anterior cingulate cortexdefault networkfMRIfunctional connectivitymajor depressive disorder
Type
Original Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 51 , Issue 10 , July 2021 , pp. 1687 - 1695
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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