Regional homogeneity changes for treatment response in major depressive disorders and health controls:a resting state fMRI case control study

Objective:To explore the characteristics of the brain regional homogeneity(ReHo)changes of patients with major depressive disorders(MDDs) before and after antidepressant treatment using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI).Method:Resting-state fMRI scans were performed on 20 patients of MDDs before and after ten weeks with antidepressant treatment and on 20 gender,age,and educationmatched healthy controls.Results:Compared to untreated depressed group,the treated depressed group showed significantly decreased regional homogeneity in the left substantia nigra,the left middle frontal gyrus(BA9,BA10),the left medial frontal gyrus(BA10),the left middle temporal gyrus(BA21),the right middle frontal gyrus(BA11),the right medial frontal gyrus(BA25),the right inferior frontal gyrus(BA45),the right temporal gyrus(BA38).Compared to healthy controls,the untreated depressed group showed significantly increased regional homogeneity in the bilateral precuneus(BA7);the treated depressed group showed significantly decline in the right ventra anterior cingulate gyrus(BA31),the right inferior frontal gyrus(BA46),the right medial frontal gyrus(BA10),the left parahippocampal gyrus(BA36).Conclusion:Patients with MDDs show a dysfunction in certain brain regions,which is at least partly reversed after antidepressant treatment.