Research on cerebral blood flow in patients with depressive disorder using SPECT

Objective Using SPECT to observe the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), in patients with depressives disorders; and to observe the cerebral vasoreactivity via acetazolamide SPECT stress test in patients with depressive disorder. Methods Eighteen unmedicated patients fulfilling the CCMD-3 criteria for depressive disorder and nineteen healthy control subjects were included. Baseline SPECT was performed in both patients and control subjects. Acetazolamide SPECT stress test was performed 2 days later in patients 2 h after taking 2g acetazolamide orally. We observed the changes of the regional cerebral blood flow before and after acetazolamide SPECT rCBF stress test. Results We found significant differences between the untreated depressed patients and those of the controls, indicating relatively reduced perfusion in frontal lobe, temporal lobe, left pariental lobe, right basal ganglia in depressed patients. Additionally, we observed a significant asymmetry in perfusion between the left and right frontal、temporal and pariental cortical regions of the patients. There was a lower perfusion in the left side. After acetazolamide SPECT stress test the perfusion of decreased regions in baseline step were increased. Conclusions Acetazolamide SPECT stress test could not find out silent brain ischemia in depressed patients; The perfusion of decreased regions in the baseline imaging were increased in acetazolamide SPECT stress test.