TY - JOUR
T1 - Identification of structural brain alterations in adolescents with depressive symptomatology
AU - Bashford-Largo, Johannah
AU - R. Blair, R. James
AU - Blair, Karina S.
AU - Dobbertin, Matthew
AU - Dominguez, Ahria
AU - Hatch, Melissa
AU - Bajaj, Sahil
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023
PY - 2023/9
Y1 - 2023/9
N2 - Introduction: Depressive symptoms can emerge as early as childhood and may lead to adverse situations in adulthood. Studies have examined structural brain alternations in individuals with depressive symptoms, but findings remain inconclusive. Furthermore, previous studies have focused on adults or used a categorical approach to assess depression. The current study looks to identify grey matter volumes (GMV) that predict depressive symptomatology across a clinically concerning sample of adolescents. Methods: Structural MRI data were collected from 338 clinically concerning adolescents (mean age = 15.30 SD=2.07; mean IQ = 101.01 SD=12.43; 132 F). Depression symptoms were indexed via the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ). Freesurfer was used to parcellate the brain into 68 cortical regions and 14 subcortical regions. GMV was extracted from all 82 brain areas. Multiple linear regression was used to look at the relationship between MFQ scores and region-specific GMV parameter. Follow up regressions were conducted to look at potential effects of psychiatric diagnoses and medication intake. Results: Our regression analysis produced a significant model (R2 = 0.446, F(86, 251) = 2.348, p < 0.001). Specifically, there was a negative association between GMV of the left parahippocampal (B = −0.203, p = 0.005), right rostral anterior cingulate (B = −0.162, p = 0.049), and right frontal pole (B = −0.147, p = 0.039) and a positive association between GMV of the left bank of the superior temporal sulcus (B = 0.173, p = 0.029). Follow up analyses produced results proximal to the main analysis. Conclusions: Altered regional brain volumes may serve as biomarkers for the development of depressive symptoms during adolescence. These findings suggest a homogeneity of altered cortical structures in adolescents with depressive symptoms.
AB - Introduction: Depressive symptoms can emerge as early as childhood and may lead to adverse situations in adulthood. Studies have examined structural brain alternations in individuals with depressive symptoms, but findings remain inconclusive. Furthermore, previous studies have focused on adults or used a categorical approach to assess depression. The current study looks to identify grey matter volumes (GMV) that predict depressive symptomatology across a clinically concerning sample of adolescents. Methods: Structural MRI data were collected from 338 clinically concerning adolescents (mean age = 15.30 SD=2.07; mean IQ = 101.01 SD=12.43; 132 F). Depression symptoms were indexed via the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ). Freesurfer was used to parcellate the brain into 68 cortical regions and 14 subcortical regions. GMV was extracted from all 82 brain areas. Multiple linear regression was used to look at the relationship between MFQ scores and region-specific GMV parameter. Follow up regressions were conducted to look at potential effects of psychiatric diagnoses and medication intake. Results: Our regression analysis produced a significant model (R2 = 0.446, F(86, 251) = 2.348, p < 0.001). Specifically, there was a negative association between GMV of the left parahippocampal (B = −0.203, p = 0.005), right rostral anterior cingulate (B = −0.162, p = 0.049), and right frontal pole (B = −0.147, p = 0.039) and a positive association between GMV of the left bank of the superior temporal sulcus (B = 0.173, p = 0.029). Follow up analyses produced results proximal to the main analysis. Conclusions: Altered regional brain volumes may serve as biomarkers for the development of depressive symptoms during adolescence. These findings suggest a homogeneity of altered cortical structures in adolescents with depressive symptoms.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Cortical volume
KW - Depression
KW - Neuroimaging
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U2 - 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.110723
DO - 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.110723
M3 - Article
C2 - 37536609
AN - SCOPUS:85168315996
SN - 0361-9230
VL - 201
JO - Brain Research Bulletin
JF - Brain Research Bulletin
M1 - 110723
ER -