Retrospective Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Psychiatry. Feb 19, 2024; 14(2): 276-286
Published online Feb 19, 2024. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v14.i2.276
Neuropathological characteristics of abnormal white matter functional signaling in adolescents with major depression
Xin-Lin Huang, Ju Gao, Yong-Ming Wang, Feng Zhu, Jing Qin, Qian-Nan Yao, Xiao-Bin Zhang, Hong-Yan Sun
Xin-Lin Huang, Qian-Nan Yao, Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi 154000, Heilongjiang Province, China
Ju Gao, Feng Zhu, Xiao-Bin Zhang, Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China
Yong-Ming Wang, School of Biology & Basic Medical Sciences, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China
Jing Qin, Department of Radiology, Shanghai Anting Hospital, Shanghai 20000, China
Hong-Yan Sun, Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China
Co-first authors: Xin-Lin Huang and Ju Gao.
Co-corresponding authors: Xiao-Bin Zhang and Hong-Yan Sun.
Author contributions: Huang XL, Sun HY, Gao J and Zhang XB conceived the study and drafted the manuscript; Huang XL and Yao QN completed all data collection; Huang XL and Wang YM participated in data analysis and acquired imaging data; Qin J and Zhu F conducted the literature search; All authors contributed to writing and revision of the manuscript, and approved the final version to be published. Huang XL and Gao J, they share co-first authorship, and they have made equal contributions to this paper. They undertook responsibilities for explored research ideas, data collection, data curation, and the writing of the original draft. Sun HY and Zhang XB, they share co-corresponding authorship, and they have made equal contributions to this paper. They were involved in conceptualization, securing funding, supervision, editing and modifying.
Supported by the Suzhou Clinical Medical Center for Mood Disorders, No. Szlcyxzx202109; and Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology for Social Development-General Project, No. BE2022735.
Institutional review board statement: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Suzhou Guangji Hospital.
Informed consent statement: All patients gave informed consent.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Hong-Yan Sun, MD, PhD, Chief Doctor, Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, No. 11 Guangqian Road, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China. hoya12@126.com
Received: November 23, 2023
Peer-review started: November 23, 2023
First decision: December 6, 2023
Revised: December 13, 2023
Accepted: January 8, 2024
Article in press: January 8, 2024
Published online: February 19, 2024
Processing time: 74 Days and 18.2 Hours
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
Research background

White matter (WM) is composed of various functional nerve fibers and plays an indispensable role in the central nervous system. However, the WM signal changes and their correlation with major depression disorder (MDD) in adolescents are still unclear.

Research motivation

An increasing number of studies have confirmed the functional organization of WM by the resting state functional magnetic imaging (rs-fMRI), indicating its feasibility of studying WM function in adolescents with MDD.

Research objectives

The purpose of this study is to explore the functional changes in the WM of adolescents with MDD.

Research methods

We collected rs-fMRI data and clinical scale information from the adolescent group with MDD and the healthy control group, and analyzed the correlation between WM function signals and clinical scales in the two groups.

Research results

We found significant changes in the functional signals of WM in adolescents with MDD, using the fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations, regional homogeneity, and independent component analysis. There are two brain regions, the left posterior limb of the inner capsule and the right posterior corona radiata, which are negatively correlated with the mini international neuropsychiatric interview suicide scales.

Research conclusions

The discovery of changes in WM functional signals in adolescents with MDD is of great significance for understanding the neuropathogenesis of depression.

Research perspectives

Our research findings may serve as biomarkers for predicting the risk of MDD and suicide in adolescents.