Premium
The functional neuroanatomy of geriatric depression
Author(s) -
Smith Gwenn S.,
Kramer Elisse,
Ma Yilong,
Kingsley Peter,
Dhawan Vijay,
Chaly Thomas,
Eidelberg David
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
international journal of geriatric psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1166
pISSN - 0885-6230
DOI - 10.1002/gps.2185
Subject(s) - medicine , depression (economics) , dementia , precuneus , psychology , atrophy , inferior parietal lobule , cerebral atrophy , positron emission tomography , cerebral cortex , endocrinology , neuroscience , cognition , disease , economics , macroeconomics
Objective Positron Emission Tomography (PET) studies of cerebral glucose metabolism have demonstrated sensitivity in evaluating the functional neuroanatomy of treatment response variability in depression, as well as in the early detection of functional changes associated with incipient cognitive decline. The evaluation of cerebral glucose metabolism in late life depression may have implications for understanding treatment response variability, as well as evaluating the neurobiological basis of depression in late life as a risk factor for dementia. Methods Sixteen patients with geriatric depression and 13 comparison subjects underwent resting PET studies of cerebral glucose metabolism, as well as magnetic resonance (MR) imaging scans to evaluate brain structure. Results Cerebral glucose metabolism was elevated in geriatric depressed patients relative to comparison subjects in anterior (right and left superior frontal gyrus) and posterior (precuneus, inferior parietal lobule) cortical regions. Cerebral atrophy (increased cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] and decreased grey and white matter volumes) were observed in some of these regions, as well. Regional cerebral metabolism was positively correlated with severity of depression and anxiety symptoms. Conclusions In contrast to decreased metabolism observed in normal aging and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, cortical glucose metabolism was increased in geriatric depressed patients relative to demographically matched controls, particularly in brain regions in which cerebral atrophy was observed, which may represent a compensatory response. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.