Frontal White Matter Anisotropy and Antidepressant Remission in Late-Life Depression
Author Information
Author(s): Taylor Warren D., Kuchibhatla Maragatha, Payne Martha E., MacFall James R., Sheline Yvette I., Krishnan K. Ranga, Doraiswamy P. Murali
Primary Institution: Duke University Medical Center
Hypothesis
Remission would be associated with higher frontal anisotropy measures, and failure to remit with lower anisotropy.
Conclusion
Failure to remit to sertraline is associated with higher frontal FA values.
Supporting Evidence
- Subjects who did not remit to sertraline exhibited higher FA values in the superior frontal gyri and anterior cingulate cortices bilaterally.
- 67 subjects completed all 12 weeks of the study.
- Remitted subjects were younger and less severely depressed at baseline.
Takeaway
Older people with depression who don't get better on medication might have different brain structures than those who do.
Methodology
The study used diffusion tensor imaging to examine frontal white matter structure in depressed subjects undergoing a 12-week trial of sertraline.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to not controlling for multiple comparisons and the timing of MRI acquisition after starting medication.
Limitations
The study did not control for multiple comparisons, which increases the risk of a Type I error.
Participant Demographics
Mean age of participants was 68.1 years, with 35 females and 39 males.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0045
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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