TY - JOUR
T1 - The association between clinical and biological characteristics of depression and structural brain alterations
AU - Toenders, Yara J.
AU - Schmaal, Lianne
AU - Nawijn, Laura
AU - Han, Laura K. M.
AU - Binnewies, Julia
AU - van der Wee, Nic J. A.
AU - van Tol, Marie-Jose
AU - Veltman, Dick J.
AU - Milaneschi, Yuri
AU - Lamers, Femke
AU - Penninx, Brenda W. J. H.
N1 - Funding Information: BP has received (non-related) research grants from Jansen Research and Boehringer Ingelheim. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors
PY - 2022/9/1
Y1 - 2022/9/1
N2 - Background: Structural brain alterations are observed in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, MDD is a highly heterogeneous disorder and specific clinical or biological characteristics of depression might relate to specific structural brain alterations. Clinical symptom subtypes of depression, as well as immuno-metabolic dysregulation associated with subtypes of depression, have been associated with brain alterations. Therefore, we examined if specific clinical and biological characteristics of depression show different brain alterations compared to overall depression. Method: Individuals with and without depressive and/or anxiety disorders from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) (328 participants from three timepoints leading to 541 observations) and the Mood Treatment with Antidepressants or Running (MOTAR) study (123 baseline participants) were included. Symptom profiles (atypical energy-related profile, melancholic profile and depression severity) and biological indices (inflammatory, metabolic syndrome, and immuno-metabolic indices) were created. The associations of the clinical and biological profiles with depression-related structural brain measures (anterior cingulate cortex [ACC], orbitofrontal cortex, insula, and nucleus accumbens) were examined dimensionally in both studies and meta-analysed. Results: Depression severity was negatively associated with rostral ACC thickness (B = -0.55, pFDR = 0.03), and melancholic symptoms were negatively associated with caudal ACC thickness (B = -0.42, pFDR = 0.03). The atypical energy-related symptom profile and immuno-metabolic indices did not show a consistent association with structural brain measures across studies. Conclusion: Overall depression- and melancholic symptom severity showed a dose-response relationship with reduced ACC thickness. No associations between immuno-metabolic dysregulation and structural brain alterations were found, suggesting that although both are associated with depression, distinct mechanisms may be involved.
AB - Background: Structural brain alterations are observed in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, MDD is a highly heterogeneous disorder and specific clinical or biological characteristics of depression might relate to specific structural brain alterations. Clinical symptom subtypes of depression, as well as immuno-metabolic dysregulation associated with subtypes of depression, have been associated with brain alterations. Therefore, we examined if specific clinical and biological characteristics of depression show different brain alterations compared to overall depression. Method: Individuals with and without depressive and/or anxiety disorders from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) (328 participants from three timepoints leading to 541 observations) and the Mood Treatment with Antidepressants or Running (MOTAR) study (123 baseline participants) were included. Symptom profiles (atypical energy-related profile, melancholic profile and depression severity) and biological indices (inflammatory, metabolic syndrome, and immuno-metabolic indices) were created. The associations of the clinical and biological profiles with depression-related structural brain measures (anterior cingulate cortex [ACC], orbitofrontal cortex, insula, and nucleus accumbens) were examined dimensionally in both studies and meta-analysed. Results: Depression severity was negatively associated with rostral ACC thickness (B = -0.55, pFDR = 0.03), and melancholic symptoms were negatively associated with caudal ACC thickness (B = -0.42, pFDR = 0.03). The atypical energy-related symptom profile and immuno-metabolic indices did not show a consistent association with structural brain measures across studies. Conclusion: Overall depression- and melancholic symptom severity showed a dose-response relationship with reduced ACC thickness. No associations between immuno-metabolic dysregulation and structural brain alterations were found, suggesting that although both are associated with depression, distinct mechanisms may be involved.
KW - Brain structure
KW - Inflammation
KW - Major depressive disorder
KW - Metabolic dysregulation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85133604791&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.06.056
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.06.056
M3 - Article
C2 - 35760189
SN - 0165-0327
VL - 312
SP - 268
EP - 274
JO - Journal of affective disorders
JF - Journal of affective disorders
ER -