Lower Locus Coeruleus MRI intensity in patients with late-life major depression

PeerJ

article

Andrés Guinea-Izquierdo¹  Mónica Giménez²  Ignacio Martínez-Zalacaín¹  Inés del Cerro¹  Pol Canal-Noguer⁴  Gerard Blasco⁷  Jordi Gascón⁸  Ramon Reñé⁸  Inmaculada Rico⁸  Angels Camins⁷  Carlos Aguilera⁷  Mikel Urretavizcaya¹  Isidre Ferrer⁹  José Manuel Menchón¹  Virginia Soria¹  Carles Soriano-Mas² 

[1] Department of Clinical Sciences/School of Medicine, University of Barcelona;Department of Psychiatry/Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute ,(IDIBELL), Hospitalet de Llobregat;Network Center for Biomedical Research on Mental Health;B2SLab/Departament d’Enginyeria de Sistemes, Automàtica i Informàtica Industrial, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya;Networking Biomedical Research Centre in the subject area of Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine;Institut de Recerca Pediàtrica, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu;Imaging Diagnostic Institute ,(IDI), Bellvitge University Hospital, Hospitalet de Llobregat;Dementia Diagnostic and Treatment Unit/Department of Neurology, Bellvitge University Hospital, Hospitalet de Llobregat;Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics/Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat;Department of Pathologic Anatomy/Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, Hospitalet de Llobregat;Network Center for Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative diseases;Department of Psychobiology and Methodology in Health Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

关键词: Major depressive disorder;    Amnestic mild cognitive impairment;    Locus coeruleus;    Magnetic resonance imaging;    Neuromelanin;    Serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.10828

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe locus coeruleus (LC) is the major noradrenergic source in the central nervous system. Structural alterations in the LC contribute to the pathophysiology of different neuropsychiatric disorders, which may increase to a variable extent the likelihood of developing neurodegenerative conditions. The characterization of such alterations may therefore help to predict progression to neurodegenerative disorders. Despite the LC cannot be visualized with conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), specific MRI sequences have been developed to infer its structural integrity.MethodsWe quantified LC signal Contrast Ratios (LCCRs) in late-life major depressive disorder (MDD) (n = 37, 9 with comorbid aMCI), amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) (n = 21, without comorbid MDD), and healthy controls (HCs) (n = 31), and also assessed the putative modulatory effects of comorbidities and other clinical variables.ResultsLCCRs were lower in MDD compared to aMCI and HCs. While no effects of aMCI comorbidity were observed, lower LCCRs were specifically observed in patients taking serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).ConclusionOur results do not support the hypothesis that lower LCCRs characterize the different clinical groups that may eventually develop a neurodegenerative disorder. Conversely, our results were specifically observed in patients with late-life MDD taking SNRIs. Further research with larger samples is warranted to ascertain whether medication or particular clinical features of patients taking SNRIs are associated with changes in LC neurons.

【 授权许可】

CC BY