Smaller hippocampal volume in current but not in past depression in comparison to healthy controls: Minor evidence from an older adults sample

Ismaïl Bensassi (1, 2) , Jorge Lopez-Castroman (1, 2) , Jerome J. Maller (3) , Chantal Meslin (4) , Marilyn Wyart (2) , Karen Ritchie (1, 5) , Philippe Courtet (1, 6, 7) , Sylvaine Artero (1) , Raffaella Calati (1, 7)

1 PSNREC - Neuropsychiatrie : recherche épidémiologique et clinique
2 CHU Nîmes - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nîmes
3 Monash University [Melbourne]
4 ANU - Australian National University
5 Edin. - University of Edinburgh
6 CHRU Montpellier - Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire [Montpellier]
7 Fondation FondaMental [Créteil]

Background: Structural neuroimaging studies revealed a consistent pattern of volumetric reductions in both hippocampus (HC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of individuals with major depressive episode(s) (MDE). This study investigated HC and ACC volume differences in currently depressed individuals (n = 150), individuals with a past lifetime MDE history (n = 79) and healthy controls (n = 287). Methods: Non-demented individuals were recruited from a cohort of community-dwelling older adults (ESPRIT study). T1-weighted magnetic resonance images and FreeSurfer Software (automated method) were used. Concerning HC, a manual method of measurement dividing HC into head, body, and tail was also used. General Linear Model was applied adjusting for covariates. Results: Current depression was associated with lower left posterior HC volume, using manual measurement, in comparison to healthy status. However, when we slightly changed subgroup inclusion criteria, results did not survive to correction for multiple comparisons. Conclusions: The finding of lower left posterior HC volume in currently depressed individuals but not in those with a past MDE compared to healthy controls could be related to brain neuroplasticity. Additionally, our results may suggest manual measures to be more sensitive than automated methods.

Mots clés: Biological markers; Depression; Brain imaging/neuroimaging; Mood disorders; Neuroimaging

Domaines: Psychiatrie et santé mentale

Ismaïl Bensassi, Jorge Lopez-Castroman, Jerome J. Maller, Chantal Meslin, Marilyn Wyart, et al.. Smaller hippocampal volume in current but not in past depression in comparison to healthy controls: Minor evidence from an older adults sample. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 2018, 102, pp.159-167. ⟨10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.04.008⟩. ⟨inserm-02466184⟩