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P1‐385: Correlation between memory and volume of brain structures in depressed elderly: A study using voxel‐based morphometry
Author(s) -
Avila Renata,
Ribeiz Salma,
Moscoso Marco Antonio,
Arrais Jony,
Duran Fabio,
Jallul Omar,
Bezerra Diana,
Busatto Geraldo,
Bottino Cassio M.C.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2008.05.967
Subject(s) - parahippocampal gyrus , correlation , lingual gyrus , psychology , voxel based morphometry , cognition , brain size , hippocampus , statistical parametric mapping , voxel , episodic memory , audiology , magnetic resonance imaging , medicine , neuroscience , temporal lobe , white matter , radiology , epilepsy , geometry , mathematics
Background: Cognitive deficits and structural brain alterations are usually found in depressed elderly. The objective of this study was to compare the volume of the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus of elderly with and without depressive disorders, investigating whether there is a correlation between the volume of these regions and the scores on these cognitive tests. Methods: In this study, the clinical and demographic differences, as well as the difference in the volume of the total brain matter were assessed using structural magnetic resonance imaging in 48 elderly people with depressive disorders and 31 controls. The comparison of the scores on the cognitive tests of both groups was carried out using the Analysis of Covariance, since the groups were different in terms of level of education. The correlation between the volume of each structure and the scores on the cognitive tests for each group studied was made using the Statistical Parametric Mapping program and Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient. Results: Patients and controls were similar regarding the total brain volume and also with respect to the regions of interest; however, the patients presented lower performance on the tests that assessed memory, executive functions and processing speed. In the group of elderly subjects with depressive disorder, there was a correlation between the verbal episodic memory test and the volume of the left hippocampus (p 0.023); right (p 0.044) and left (p 0.007) parahippocampal gyrus. In this group, there was also a correlation between the left parahippocampal gyrus, the visual episodic memory (p 0.039) and the delayed naming in the visual-verbal learning test (p 0.040). In the control group, there was a correlation between the performance on the Mini Mental State Examination and the right hippocampus (p 0.010), and the total naming on the visual-verbal learning test and the right (p 0.10) and left (p 0.015) parahippocampal gyrus. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that the elderly with depressive disorders have memory deficits and that these deficits are correlated to structural brain alterations. Such finding might help to understand the pathophysiology of depression in the elderly.