The British Journal of Psychiatry (2006) 188: 180-185. doi: 10.1192/bjp.188.2.180
© 2006 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Related articles in BJP
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by IOSIFESCU, D. V.
Right arrow Articles by FAVA, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by IOSIFESCU, D. V.
Right arrow Articles by FAVA, M.

Brain white-matter hyperintensities and treatment outcome in major depressive disorder

DAN V. IOSIFESCU, MD

Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

PERRY F. RENSHAW, MD, PhD and IN KYOON LYOO, MD, PhD

Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

HO KYU LEE, MD, PhD

Department of Radiology, Sung Kyun Kwan University, Seoul, Korea

ROY H. PERLIS, MD, GEORGE I. PAPAKOSTAS, MD, ANDREW A. NIERENBERG, MD and MAURIZIO FAVA, MD

Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Correspondence: Dr Dan V. Iosifescu, Massachusetts General Hospital, 50 Staniford Street, suite 401, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.Tel: +1 617 724 7741; fax: +1 617 724 3028; e-mail: diosifescu{at}partners.org

Declaration of interest None. Funding detailed in Acknowledgements.

Background An increased incidence of brain white-matter hyperintensities has been described in major depressive disorder, butthe impact of such hyperintensities on treatment outcome is still controversial.

Aims To investigate the relationship of brain white-matter hyperintensities with cardiovascular risk factors and with treatment outcome in younger people with major depressive disorder.

Method We assessed brain white-matter hyperintensities and cardiovascular risk factors in 84 people with major depressive disorder prior to initiating antidepressant treatment. We also assessed hyperintensities in 35 matched controls.

Results We found no significant difference in the prevalence of white-matter hyperintensities between the depression and the control groups. Left-hemisphere subcortical hyperintensities correlated with lower rates of treatment response. We found no correlation between global hyperintensity measures and clinical outcome. Brain white-matter hyperintensities correlated with hypertension and age and withtotal cardiovascular risk score.

Conclusions Subcortical white-matter hyperintensities in the left hemisphere (but notin other brain areas) maybe associated with poor response to antidepressant treatment in major depression.


Related articles in BJP:

Highlights of this issue
KIMBERLIE DEAN
BJP 2006 188: 105-a5. [Full Text]  



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Br. J. PsychiatryHome page
M. V. Zanetti, M. S. Schaufelberger, C. C. de Castro, P. R. Menezes, M. Scazufca, P. K. McGuire, R. M. Murray, and G. F. Busatto
White-matter hyperintensities in first-episode psychosis
The British Journal of Psychiatry, July 1, 2008; 193(1): 25 - 30.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]