Postpartum depression and major depressive disorder: the same or not? Evidence from resting-state functional MRI. Issue 3 (21st November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cheng, Bochao; Guo, Yi; Chen, Xijian; Lv, Bin; Liao, Yi; Qu, Haibo; Hu, Xiao; Yang, Haoxiang; Meng, Yajing; Deng, Wei; Wang, Jiaojian
• Is Part Of: Psychoradiology. Volume 2:Issue 3(2022)
• Page Start: 121
• Page End: 128
• Publication Date: 2022-11-21
• Subjects: postpartum depression -- major depressive disorder -- resting-state fMRI -- functional activity -- functional connectivity; Brain -- Imaging -- Periodicals; Nervous system -- Radiography -- Periodicals; 616.804757
• DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkac015
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2634-4416

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Although postpartum depression (PPD) and non-peripartum major depressive disorder (MDD) occurring within and outside the postpartum period share many clinical characteristics, whether PPD and MDD are the same or not remains controversial. Methods: The current study was devoted to identify the shared and different neural circuits between PPD and MDD by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 77 participants (22 first-episodic drug-naïve MDD, 26 drug-naïve PPD, and 29 healthy controls (HC)). Results: Both the PPD and MDD groups exhibited higher fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) in left temporal pole relative to the HC group; the MDD group showed specifically increased degree centrality in the right cerebellum while PPD showed specifically decreased fALFF in the left supplementary motor area and posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG_L), and specifically decreased functional connectivities between pMTG and precuneus and between left subgeneual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC_L) and right sgACC. Moreover, sgACC and left thalamus showed abnormal regional homogeneity of functional activities between any pair of HC, MDD, and PPD. Conclusions: These results provide initial evidence that PPD and MDD have common and distinct neural circuits, which may facilitate understanding the neurophysiological basis and precision treatment for PPD.