Objective: To examine the structural differences in regional gray matter density between a sample of major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls, using the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to find the base of pathophysiologic mechanism in depression development.
Methods: A total of 38 MDD patients and 42 healthy subjects enrolled in the MRI scans. Voxel-based morphometry was used to test the difference in gray matter between the 2 groups.
Results: The MDD group showed significantly lower gray density than the healthy control group in the right middle frontal gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus and left superior frontal gyrus. However, the healthy control group showed significantly lower gray density than the MDD group in the right precuneus, left anterior central gyrus and right anterior cingutate.
Conclusion: Structural brain abnormalities in MDD patients may be the pathological bases for MDD development.