Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Caudate Nuclei in Depression

摘要: • A role of the caudate nucleus in depression has been suggested from relevant clinical conditions, such as patients with Huntington's disease or infarcts, well animal studies. Correlations depressive symptoms have limited to autopsy studies and cases gross pathological disorder, large infarcts. We used serial axial high-field magnetic resonance images an unbiased stereological technique estimate volumes nuclei 50 who met DSM-III criteria for major (23 men, 48.3±17 years old) comparison age- gender-matched normal controls free neurological psychiatric disorders. Depressed had smaller (5.2±1.6 cm3) compared (6.2±1.7 cm3). Right left were depressed controls. Age was negatively correlated Caudate inversely bicaudate bifrontal indices. These results may be first demonstration diminished suggest a pathogenesis depression.