The British Journal of Psychiatry (2009) 195: 163-169. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.108.052688
© 2009 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Morphometric analysis of neuronal and glial cell pathology in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in late-life depression

Ahmad Khundakar, PhD, Christopher Morris, PhD and Arthur Oakley, Cbiol MiBiol

Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne

William McMeekin, FIBMS

Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, and Department of Neuropathology, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne

Alan J. Thomas, PhD, MRCPsych

Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

Correspondence: Alan J. Thomas, Wolfson Research Centre, Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL, UK. Email: a.j.thomas{at}ncl.ac.uk

Declaration of interest

None.

Background

Late-life depression has been associated with cerebrovascular disease and especially with ischaemic white matter hyperintensities on magnetic resonance imaging. Neuroimaging and morphometric studies have identified abnormalities in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Aims

To examine glial and neuronal density and neuronal volume in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in late-life major depression.

Method

We used the disector and nucleator methods to estimate neuronal density and volume and glial density of cells in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in a post-mortem study of 17 individuals with late-life major depression and 10 age-matched controls.

Results

We found a reduction in the volume of pyramidal neurones in the whole cortex, which was also present in layer 3 and more markedly in layer 5. There were no comparable changes in non-pyramidal neurones and no glial differences.

Conclusions

Overall, we found a decrease in pyramidal neuronal size in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in late-life depression.


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