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Clinical Trial
. 2023 Aug 28;23(1):628.
doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-05082-3.

Changes in brain functional networks in remitted major depressive disorder: a six-month follow-up study

Jiaqi Zhong  1   2 , Jingren Xu  1 , Zhenzhen Wang  1   3 , Hao Yang  1 , Jiawei Li  1 , Haoran Yu  1 , Wenyan Huang  1 , Cheng Wan  4 , Hui Ma  5 , Ning Zhang  6   7   8
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Changes in brain functional networks in remitted major depressive disorder: a six-month follow-up study

Jiaqi Zhong et al. BMC Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Background: Patients with remitted major depressive disorder (rMDD) show abnormal functional connectivity of the central executive network (CEN), salience networks (SN) and default mode network (DMN). It is unclear how these change during remission, or whether changes are related to function.

Methods: Three spatial networks in 17 patients with rMDD were compared between baseline and the six-month follow-up, and to 22 healthy controls. Correlations between these changes and psychosocial functioning were also assessed.

Results: In the CEN, patients at baseline had abnormal functional connectivity in the right anterior cingulate, right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and inferior parietal lobule (IPL) compare with HCs. There were functional connection differences in the right DLPFC and left IPL at baseline during follow-up. Abnormal connectivity in the right DLPFC and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) were found at follow-up. In the SN, patients at baseline had abnormal functional connectivity in the insula, left anterior cingulate, left IPL, and right precuneus; compared with baseline, patients had higher connectivity in the right DLPFC at follow-up. In the DMN, patients at baseline had abnormal functional connectivity in the right mPFC. Resting-state functional connectivity of the IPL and DLPFC in the CEN correlated with psychosocial functioning.

Conclusions: At six-month follow-up, the CEN still showed abnormal functional connectivity in those with rMDD, while anomalies in the SN and DMN has disappeared. Resting-state functional connectivity of the CEN during early rMDD is associated with psychosocial function.

Clinical trials registration: Pharmacotherapy and Psychotherapy for MDD after Remission on Psychology and Neuroimaging. https://www.

Clinicaltrials: gov/ , registration number: NCT01831440 (15/4/2013).

Keywords: Central executive network; Default mode network; Psychosocial functioning; Remitted major depressive disorder; Salience network.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
One sample t-test results in the CEN, SN and DMN (FDR corrected, p = 0.05). Colored bar represents t-values. CEN: central executive network; SN: salience network; DMN: default mode network; Baseline: rMDD group at baseline; 6 months: rMDD group at follow-up; HCs: healthy controls; R: right
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Two sample t-test results in the CEN (p = 0.01, FDR corrected). The colored bar represents t-values. CEN: central executive network; B-H: Two sample t-test results between rMDD group at baseline and HCs; S-B: Two sample t-test results between rMDD group at follow-up and baseline; L-IPL: left inferior parietal lobule; L-mPFC: left medial prefrontal cortex; R-IPL: right inferior parietal lobule; R-DLPFC: right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; R-mPFC: right medial prefrontal cortex
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Two sample t-test results for the SN and DMN (p = 0.01, FDR corrected). The colored bar represents t-values. SN: salience network; DMN: default mode network; B-H: Two sample t-test results between rMDD group at baseline and HCs; S-B: Two sample t-test results between rMDD group at follow-up and baseline; S-H: Two sample t-test results between rMDD group at follow-up and HCs; L-IPL: left inferior parietal lobule; L-insula: left insula; R-DLPFC: right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; R-insula: right insula; R-mPFC: right medial prefrontal cortex; R-precuneus: right precuneus
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Correlations between FC and BDI, psychosocial functioning among patients with rMDD. Spearman correlations at 95% confidence level (p = 0.05, FDR corrected); L-IPL: left inferior parietal lobule; R-IPL: right inferior parietal lobule; R-DLPFC: right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; BDI: Beck Depression Inventory
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