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Anterior cingulate cortical volumes and treatment remission of geriatric depression

  1. Faith M. Gunning1,*,
  2. Janice Cheng1,
  3. Christopher F. Murphy1,
  4. Dora Kanellopoulos1,
  5. Jessica Acuna1,
  6. Matthew J. Hoptman2,3,
  7. Sibel Klimstra1,
  8. Shizuko Morimoto1,
  9. James Weinberg1,
  10. George S. Alexopoulos1

Article first published online: 23 JUN 2009

DOI: 10.1002/gps.2290

Issue

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry

Special Issue: Neuroimaging in Geriatric Psychiatry

Volume 24, Issue 8, pages 829–836, August 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Gunning, F. M., Cheng, J., Murphy, C. F., Kanellopoulos, D., Acuna, J., Hoptman, M. J., Klimstra, S., Morimoto, S., Weinberg, J. and Alexopoulos, G. S. (2009), Anterior cingulate cortical volumes and treatment remission of geriatric depression. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24: 829–836. doi: 10.1002/gps.2290

Author Information

  1. 1

    Weill Cornell Medical College, Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry, White Plains, NY, USA

  2. 2

    Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA

  3. 3

    Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

*21 Bloomingdale Road; White Plains, NY 10605, USA.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 10 JUL 2009
  2. Article first published online: 23 JUN 2009
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 3 MAR 2009
  4. Manuscript Received: 21 NOV 2008

Funded by

  • National Institute of Mental Health. Grant Numbers: P30 MH68638 (GSA), R01 MH65653 (GSA), K23 MH074818 (FGD)
  • Sanchez Foundation
  • TRU Foundation
  • Forest Pharmaceuticals

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Keywords:

  • MRI;
  • depression;
  • geriatric;
  • anterior cingulate;
  • treatment

Abstract

Background

Structural abnormalities of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) may interfere with the interaction of cortical and limbic networks involved in emotional regulation and contribute to chronic depressive syndromes in the elderly. This study examined the relationship of regional anterior cingulate cortical volumes with treatment remission of elderly depressed patients. We hypothesized that patients who failed to remit during a 12-week controlled treatment trial of escitalopram would exhibit smaller anterior cingulate gray matter volumes than patients who remitted.

Methods

The participants were 41 non-demented individuals with non-psychotic major depression. After a 2-week single-blind placebo period, subjects who still had a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) of 18 or greater received escitalopram 10 mg daily for 12 weeks. Remission was defined as a HDRS score of 7 or below for at least 2 consecutive weeks. The patient sample consisted of 22 depressed patients who achieved remission during the study and 19 depressed patients who remained symptomatic. High-resolution magnetization-prepared rapidly acquired gradient echo (MPRAGE) sequences were acquired on a 1.5 T scanner and regional ACC volumes were manually outlined (dorsal, rostral, anterior subgenual, and posterior subgenual).

Results

Repeated measure analyses revealed that patients who failed to remit following escitalopram treatment had smaller dorsal and rostral anterior cingulate gray matter volumes than patients who remitted, whereas subgenual cortical volumes did not differ between the groups.

Conclusions

Structural abnormalities of the dorsal and rostral anterior cingulate may perpetuate late-life depression. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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