Abnormalities in the default mode network in late-life depression: A study of resting-state fMRI

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Neuroimaging studies have reported abnormalities in the examination of functional connectivity in late-life depression (LLD) in the default mode network (DMN). The present study aims to study resting-state functional connectivity within the DMN in people diagnosed with late-life major depressive disorder (MDD) compared to healthy controls (HCs). Moreover, we would like to differentiate these same connectivity patterns between participants with high vs. low anxiety levels. METHOD: The sample comprised 56 participants between the ages of 60 and 75; 27 of them were patients with a diagnosis of MDD. Patients were further divided into two samples according to anxiety level: the four people with the highest anxiety level and the five with the lowest anxiety level. Clinical aspects were measured using psychological questionnaires. Each participant underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) acquisition in different regions of interest (ROIs) of the DMN. RESULTS: There was a greater correlation between pairs of ROIs in the control group than in patients with LLD, being this effect preferentially observed in patients with higher anxiety levels. CONCLUSIONS: There are differences in functional connectivity within the DMN depending on the level of psychopathology. This can be reflected in these correlations and in the number of clusters and how the brain lateralizes (clustering).