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. 2004 Jan 29:2:2.
doi: 10.1186/1741-7015-2-2.

Hippocampal volume in early onset depression

Frank P MacMaster  1 , Vivek Kusumakar
Affiliations

Hippocampal volume in early onset depression

Frank P MacMaster et al. BMC Med. .

Abstract

Background: Abnormalities in limbic structures have been implicated in major depressive disorder (MDD). Although MDD is as common in adolescence as in adulthood, few studies have examined youth near illness onset in order to determine the possible influence of atypical development on the pathophysiology of this disorder.

Methods: Hippocampal volumes were measured in 17 MDD subjects (age = 16.67 +/- 1.83 years [mean +/- SD]; range = 13 - 18 years) and 17 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (16.23 +/- 1.61 years [mean +/- SD]; 13 - 18 years) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Results: An analysis of covariance revealed a significant difference between MDD and control subjects (F = 8.66, df = 1, 29, P = 0.006). This was more strongly localized to the left hippocampus (P = 0.001) than the right hippocampus (P = 0.047).

Conclusions: Our findings provide new evidence of abnormalities in the hippocampus in early onset depression. However, our results should be considered preliminary given the small sample size studied.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Sample MRI scans showing the manual tracing technique of the hippocampus. (a) Full coronal image of the brain. (b) Sagittal view of the length of the hippocampal measurement. (c) A section of the image at 2 × magnification showing a close-up of the hippocampus in that slice. (d) The hippocampus traced (white outline).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Graphs of hippocampal results. (a) Left hippocampus in controls and depressed youth and (b) right hippocampus in controls and depressed youth.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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