Case-control resting-state fMRI study of brain functioning among adolescents with first-episode major depressive disorder

BACKGROUND: Adolescent depression results in severe and protracted suffering for affected individuals and their family members, but the underlying mechanism of this disabling condition remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: Compare resting-state brain functioning between first-episode, drug-naïve adolescents with major depressive disorder and matched controls. METHODS: Fifteen adolescents with major depressive disorder and 16 controls underwent a resting-state fMRI scan performed using a 3T magnetic resonance scanner. The amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) was used to assess resting-state brain function. RESULTS: Adolescents with depression had higher mean (sd) scores on the Children Depression Inventory (CDI) than controls (22.13 [9.21] vs. 9.37 [5.65]). Compared with controls, adolescents with depression had higher ALFF in the posterior cingulate gyrus, left inferior temporal gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, right insula, right parietal lobe, and right fusiform gyrus; they also exhibited lower ALFF in the bilateral cuneus, the left occipital lobe, and the left medial frontal lobe. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent depression is associated with significant changes in the functioning of several regions of the brain.