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. 2020 Feb;5(2):213-221.
doi: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.10.013. Epub 2019 Nov 7.

Cognitive Control Network Homogeneity and Executive Functions in Late-Life Depression

Matteo Respino  1 , Matthew J Hoptman  2 , Lindsay W Victoria  1 , George S Alexopoulos  1 , Nili Solomonov  1 , Aliza T Stein  1 , Maria Coluccio  1 , Sarah Shizuko Morimoto  1 , Chloe J Blau  2 , Lila Abreu  1 , Katherine E Burdick  3 , Conor Liston  1 , Faith M Gunning  4
Affiliations

Cognitive Control Network Homogeneity and Executive Functions in Late-Life Depression

Matteo Respino et al. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging. 2020 Feb.

Abstract

Background: Late-life depression is characterized by network abnormalities, especially within the cognitive control network. We used alternative functional connectivity approaches, regional homogeneity (ReHo) and network homogeneity, to investigate late-life depression functional homogeneity. We examined the association between cognitive control network homogeneity and executive functions.

Methods: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were analyzed for 33 older adults with depression and 43 healthy control subjects. ReHo was performed as the correlation between each voxel and the 27 neighbor voxels. Network homogeneity was calculated as global brain connectivity restricted to 7 networks. T-maps were generated for group comparisons. We measured cognitive performance and executive functions with the Dementia Rating Scale, Trail-Making Test (A and B), Stroop Color Word Test, and Digit Span Test.

Results: Older adults with depression showed increased ReHo in the bilateral dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and the right middle temporal gyrus, with no significant findings for network homogeneity. Hierarchical linear regression models showed that higher ReHo in the dACC predicted better performance on Trail-Making Test B (p < .001; R2 = .49), Digit Span Backward (p < .05; R2 = .23), and Digit Span Total (p < .05; R2 = .23). Used as a seed, the dACC cluster of higher ReHo showed lower functional connectivity with bilateral precuneus.

Conclusions: Higher ReHo within the dACC and right middle temporal gyrus distinguish older adults with depression from control subjects. The correlations with executive function performance support increased ReHo in the dACC as a meaningful measure of the organization of the cognitive control network and a potential compensatory mechanism. Lower functional connectivity between the dACC and the precuneus in late-life depression suggests that clusters of increased ReHo may be functionally segregated.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01728194.

Keywords: Aging; Cognitive control; Depression; Executive functions; Functional connectivity; MRI.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Clusters of significant ReHo increase in depressed older adults compared to healthy controls.
Clusters GRF corrected voxel p <0.005, cluster p <0.05. ACC=anterior cingulate cortex; ReHo=Regional Homogeneity; R-MTG=right middle temporal gyrus.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Scatterplots of the relations between dorsal anterior cingulate ReHo values and executive performance in depressed older adults and healthy controls
Fig2A 3D View of dorsal ACC cluster of increased ReHo in patients compared to controls (BrainNet Viewer) (63) Fig 2B Upper right & bottom: scatterplots of the relation between ACC ReHo r-to-z values to executive performance. ACC=anterior cingulate cortex; ReHo=Regional Homogeneity; TMT-B=Trail Making Test B.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.. Clusters of significant decreased ReHo-seeded Functional Connectivity depressed older adults compared to healthy controls.
3d View (BrainNet Viewer) (63) of precuneus clusters GRF corrected voxel p <0.01, cluster p <0.05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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