Journal article
No Alterations of Brain Structural Asymmetry in Major Depressive Disorder: An ENIGMA Consortium Analysis
American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol.176(12), pp.1039-1049
2019
PMID: 31352813
Abstract
Objective:
Asymmetry is a subtle but pervasive aspect of the human brain, and it may be altered in several psychiatric conditions. MRI studies have shown subtle differences of brain anatomy between people with major depressive disorder and healthy control subjects, but few studies have specifically examined brain anatomical asymmetry in relation to this disorder, and results from those studies have remained inconclusive. At the functional level, some electroencephalography studies have indicated left fronto-cortical hypoactivity and right parietal hypoactivity in depressive disorders, so aspects of lateralized anatomy may also be affected. The authors used pooled individual-level data from data sets collected around the world to investigate differences in laterality in measures of cortical thickness, cortical surface area, and subcortical volume between individuals with major depression and healthy control subjects.
Methods:
The authors investigated differences in the laterality of thickness and surface area measures of 34 cerebral cortical regions in 2,256 individuals with major depression and 3,504 control subjects from 31 separate data sets, and they investigated volume asymmetries of eight subcortical structures in 2,540 individuals with major depression and 4,230 control subjects from 32 data sets. T1-weighted MRI data were processed with a single protocol using FreeSurfer and the Desikan-Killiany atlas. The large sample size provided 80% power to detect effects of the order of Cohen’s d=0.1.
Results:
The largest effect size (Cohen’s d) of major depression diagnosis was 0.085 for the thickness asymmetry of the superior temporal cortex, which was not significant after adjustment for multiple testing. Asymmetry measures were not significantly associated with medication use, acute compared with remitted status, first episode compared with recurrent status, or age at onset.
Conclusions:
Altered brain macro-anatomical asymmetry may be of little relevance to major depression etiology in most cases.
Details
- Title
- No Alterations of Brain Structural Asymmetry in Major Depressive Disorder: An ENIGMA Consortium Analysis
- Authors
- Carolien G F de Kovel (Author) - Max Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsLyubomir Aftanas (Author) - Novosibirsk State UniversityAndré Aleman (Author) - University of GroningenAaron F Alexander-Bloch (Author) - Yale School of MedicineBernhard T Baune (Author) - University of MünsterIvan Brack (Author) - Scientific Research Institute of Neuroscience & MedicineRobin Bülow (Author) - University of GreifswaldGeraldo Busatto Filho (Author) - University of Sao PauloAngela Carballedo (Author) - Trinity College DublinColm G Connolly (Author) - University of California, San FranciscoKathryn R Cullen (Author) - University of MinnesotaUdo Dannlowski (Author) - University of MünsterChristopher G Davey (Author) - University of MelbourneDanai Dima (Author) - University of LondonKatharina Dohm (Author) - University of MünsterTracy Erwin-Grabner (Author) - University of GöttingenThomas Frodl (Author) - Otto-von-Guericke University MagdeburgCynthia H Y Fu (Author) - University of East LondonGeoffrey B Hall (Author) - McMaster UniversityBeata Godlewska (Author) - University of OxfordDavid C Glahn (Author) - Yale School of MedicineIan H Gotlib (Author) - Stanford UniversityRoberto Goya-Maldonado (Author) - Universitätsmedizin GöttingenHans Jörgen Grabe (Author) - University of GreifswaldNynke A Groenewold (Author) - University Medical Center GroningenDominik Grotegerd (Author) - University of MünsterOliver Gruber (Author) - Heidelberg UniversityMathew A Harris (Author) - University of EdinburghBen J Harrison (Author) - University of MelbourneSean N Hatton (Author) - University of SydneyIan B Hickie (Author) - University of SydneyTiffany C Ho (Author) - Stanford UniversityNeda Jahanshad (Author) - University of Southern CaliforniaTilo Kircher (Author) - Philipps University of MarburgBernd Krämer (Author) - University Hospital HeidelbergAxel Krug (Author) - Philipps University of MarburgJim Lagopoulos (Author) - University of SydneyElisabeth J Leehr (Author) - University of MünsterMeng Li (Author) - Otto-von-Guericke University MagdeburgGlenda MacQueen (Author) - University of CalgaryFrank P MacMaster (Author) - University of CalgaryAndrew M McIntosh (Author) - University of EdinburghQuinn McLellan (Author) - University of CalgarySarah E Medland (Author) - QIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteBryon A Mueller (Author) - University of MinnesotaIgor Nenadic (Author) - Philipps University of MarburgEvgeny Osipov (Author) - Novosibirsk State UniversityMartina Papmeyer (Author) - University of EdinburghMaria J Portella (Author) - Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud MentalLiesbeth Reneman (Author) - Amsterdam University Medical CentersPedro G P Rosa (Author) - University of Sao PauloMatthew D Sacchet (Author) - Stanford UniversityKnut Schnell (Author) - Universitätsmedizin GöttingenAnouk Schrantee (Author) - Amsterdam University Medical CentersKang Sim (Author) - Institute of Mental HealthEgle Simulionyte (Author) - Heidelberg UniversityLisa Sindermann (Author) - University of MünsterAditya Singh (Author) - Universitätsmedizin GöttingenDan J Stein (Author) - University of Cape TownBenjamin N Ubani (Author) - University of Minnesota Medical SchoolNic J A Van der Wee (Author) - Leiden University Medical CenterSteven J A Van der Werff (Author) - Leiden University Medical CenterIlya M Veer (Author) - Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin BerlinYolanda Vives-Gilabert (Author) - Universitat Politècnica de ValènciaHenry Völzke (Author) - University of GreifswaldHenrik Walter (Author) - Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin BerlinMartin Walter (Author) - University of TübingenMelinda Westlund Schreiner (Author) - University of MinnesotaHeather Whalley (Author) - University of EdinburghNils Winter (Author) - University of MünsterKatharina Wittfeld (Author) - University of GreifswaldTony T Yang (Author) - University of California, San FranciscoDilara Yüksel (Author) - Philipps University of MarburgDario Zaremba (Author) - University of MünsterPaul M Thompson (Author) - University of Southern CaliforniaDick J Veltman (Author) - Amsterdam UMC Location VUmcLianne Schmaal (Author) - University of MelbourneClyde Francks (Author) - Radboud University Nijmegen
- Publication details
- American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol.176(12), pp.1039-1049
- Publisher
- American Psychiatric Association Publishing, Inc.
- DOI
- 10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.18101144
- ISSN
- 1535-7228
- PMID
- 31352813
- Organisation Unit
- Thompson Institute; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99523208102621
- Output Type
- Journal article