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Meta-Analysis
. 2017 Jun;22(6):900-909.
doi: 10.1038/mp.2016.60. Epub 2016 May 3.

Cortical abnormalities in adults and adolescents with major depression based on brain scans from 20 cohorts worldwide in the ENIGMA Major Depressive Disorder Working Group

L Schmaal  1 D P Hibar  2 P G Sämann  3 G B Hall  4 B T Baune  5 N Jahanshad  2 J W Cheung  2 T G M van Erp  6 D Bos  7   8 M A Ikram  7   8   9 M W Vernooij  7   8 W J Niessen  7   10   11 H Tiemeier  8   12 A Hofman  8 K Wittfeld  13 H J Grabe  13   14 D Janowitz  14 R Bülow  15 M Selonke  14 H Völzke  16   17   18 D Grotegerd  19 U Dannlowski  19   20 V Arolt  19 N Opel  19 W Heindel  21 H Kugel  21 D Hoehn  3 M Czisch  3 B Couvy-Duchesne  22   23   24 M E Rentería  24 L T Strike  22 M J Wright  22   23 N T Mills  22   24 G I de Zubicaray  25 K L McMahon  23 S E Medland  24 N G Martin  24 N A Gillespie  26 R Goya-Maldonado  27 O Gruber  28 B Krämer  28 S N Hatton  29 J Lagopoulos  29 I B Hickie  29 T Frodl  30   31 A Carballedo  31 E M Frey  32 L S van Velzen  1 B W J H Penninx  1 M-J van Tol  33 N J van der Wee  34 C G Davey  35   36   37 B J Harrison  37 B Mwangi  38 B Cao  38 J C Soares  38 I M Veer  39 H Walter  39 D Schoepf  40 B Zurowski  41 C Konrad  20   42 E Schramm  43 C Normann  43 K Schnell  28 M D Sacchet  44 I H Gotlib  44 G M MacQueen  45 B R Godlewska  46 T Nickson  47 A M McIntosh  47   48 M Papmeyer  47   49 H C Whalley  47 J Hall  47   50 J E Sussmann  47   51 M Li  52 M Walter  52   53 L Aftanas  54 I Brack  54 N A Bokhan  55   56   57 P M Thompson  2 D J Veltman  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Cortical abnormalities in adults and adolescents with major depression based on brain scans from 20 cohorts worldwide in the ENIGMA Major Depressive Disorder Working Group

L Schmaal et al. Mol Psychiatry. 2017 Jun.

Abstract

The neuro-anatomical substrates of major depressive disorder (MDD) are still not well understood, despite many neuroimaging studies over the past few decades. Here we present the largest ever worldwide study by the ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Major Depressive Disorder Working Group on cortical structural alterations in MDD. Structural T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from 2148 MDD patients and 7957 healthy controls were analysed with harmonized protocols at 20 sites around the world. To detect consistent effects of MDD and its modulators on cortical thickness and surface area estimates derived from MRI, statistical effects from sites were meta-analysed separately for adults and adolescents. Adults with MDD had thinner cortical gray matter than controls in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), anterior and posterior cingulate, insula and temporal lobes (Cohen's d effect sizes: -0.10 to -0.14). These effects were most pronounced in first episode and adult-onset patients (>21 years). Compared to matched controls, adolescents with MDD had lower total surface area (but no differences in cortical thickness) and regional reductions in frontal regions (medial OFC and superior frontal gyrus) and primary and higher-order visual, somatosensory and motor areas (d: -0.26 to -0.57). The strongest effects were found in recurrent adolescent patients. This highly powered global effort to identify consistent brain abnormalities showed widespread cortical alterations in MDD patients as compared to controls and suggests that MDD may impact brain structure in a highly dynamic way, with different patterns of alterations at different stages of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. Jair Soares has participated in research funded by Forest, Merck, BMS, GSK and has been a speaker for Pfizer and Abbott. Andrew McIntosh has received support from Lilly, Janssen, Pfizer and Saccade Diagnostics. Carsten Konrad received fees for an educational program from Aristo Pharma, Janssen-Cilag, Lilly, MagVenture, Servier, and Trommsdorff as well as travel support and speakers honoraria from Janssen, Lundbeck and Servier. Theo G.M. van Erp has consulted for Roche Pharmaceuticals Ltd., and has a contract with Otsuka Phamaceutical Co., Ltd (OPCJ). Knut Schnell has consulted for Roche Pharmaceuticals and Servier Pharmaceuticals. Henrik Walter has received a speaker honorarium from Servier, 9987.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Meta-analysis effect sizes for regions with a significant (PFDR<0.05) cortical thinning in adult major depressive disorder (MDD) patients compared to healthy controls. Negative effect sizes d indicate cortical thinning in MDD compared to controls.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Meta-analysed effect sizes for regions with a significant (PFDR<0.05) decrease in cortical surface area in adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) patients compared to healthy controls. Negative effect sizes d indicate lower cortical surface area in MDD compared to controls.

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